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PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


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Purchased  by  the  Hamill  Missionary  Fund. 


Division 


Section 


DS/Q7 

-D  a  S . 


1 


JORDAN  RIVER 


Forbidden 

Paths 

in  the 

Land  of 

Og 

A  Record  of  the  Travels  of  Three 
Wise  and  Otherwise  Men  to 
the  East  of  the  Jordan  River 


BY 


THE 


OTHERWISE  ^MAN 

c:*  ^ .  iX  i'-t  1  _•  1  jCtO  1 


tl 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

Publishers  of  Evangelical  Literature 


SECOJV£>  EDITION 


Copyright,  1900 
by 

FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


THE  CAXTON  PRESS 
NEW  YORK. 


ITn  /iRemodam 


TO  ONE 

WHOSE  KINDLY  WORD  OF  HELPFUL  COMMENT  HAD 
LEFT  ITS  IMPRESS  ON  THESE  PAGES 
ERE  SHE  PASSED  BEYOND 

THIS  LITTLE  BOOK 

IS  DEDICATED 


Preface 


Palestine  is  a  much-travelled  land.  During 
the  spring  months  the  roads  between  Jerusalem 
and  Damascus  are  dotted  with  white  tents,  and 
the  pavements  of  her  historic  towns  resound 
with  the  ring  of  the  horses’  hoofs. 

But  the  East-Jordan  region  is  seldom  visited 
for  various  reasons.  The  government  is  chary 
of  giving  permission;  the  springtime  is  unfa¬ 
vorable;  the  tourist  has  no  leisure  for  such  a  trip. 

Hence  it  was  accounted  a  rare  privilege,  when 
three  missionaries  could  leave  their  respective 
fields  of  labor  and  journey  together  in  the  au¬ 
tumn  time  to  the  lands  east  of  the  sacred  river. 

If  this  simple  record  of  their  travels  may  find 
interested  readers  in  the  hands  of  its  friends, 
and  afford  them  an  hour’s  glimpse  into'  those 
historic  regions,  its  mission  will  have  been  ac¬ 
complished. 

May  the  enjoyment  of  the  trip  at  second-hand 
be  as  great  as  the  pleasure  experienced  in  the  real 
tour  in  The  Land  of  Og. 

The  Otherwise  Man. 

At  Home  in  Syria,  Sept,  ^o,  i8gg. 

7 


i 


Contents 

CHAP.  PAGE 

Whittier’s  «  Palestine  ” . 13 

Introduction— Concerning  Og  .  ......  15 

I.  Plans  AND  Preparations . 17 

II.  Introductions  by  the  Way . 24 

III.  A  Sabbath  Day’s  Journey . 35 

IV.  «  The  Kingdoms  of  this  World  ” . 43 

V.  Geographical . 50 

VI.  A  Bedawy  Prince  at  Home . 60 

VII.  Golan,  the  City  of  Refuge . 72 

VIII.  Maneuvering .  83 

IX.  A  Memorable  Ridge  .  . . 96 

X.  Gadara,  the  City  of  Tombs . 103 

XI.  A  Sabbath  Beside  Galilee . 112 

XII.  A  Prophecy  and  a  Fulfillment . 124 

XIII.  The  Oaks  of  Bashan . 139 

XIV.  Camp  and  Castle . 153 

XV.  A  Halt  at  Mizpah . 164 

XVI.  Jerash,  the  Magnificent  City . 176 

XVII.  A  Grewsome  Bedchamber . 19 1 

XVHI.  A  Quest  for  Water . i99 

XIX.  The  Ford  of  the  Jordan . 213 

XX.  Bethshan  and  the  Ignominy  of  Saul  ....  226 

XXL  The  End  of  the  Journey . 237 

Conclusion — Contrasts  and  Hopes . 244 

9 


List  of  Illustrations 


Jordan  River . . 

Frontispiece 

The  Cook  “  En  Route” . 

The  Cook  at  Work . 

FACIN< 

> 

3  PAGE 

\  24 

Public  Weigher . 

Threshing  the  Wheat  . . 

j-  30 

Women  at  the  Mill . 

A  Load  of  Water . 

i  98 

Tiberias  and  the  Sea  of  Galilee  .  .  . 

112 

Village  at  Migdel . 

114 

Arab  Woman  and  Child . 

Eastern  Embrace . 

•  •  1 

\  146 

A  Crusader’s  Castle . 

154 

Modern  Jerash  Across  the  Stream. 

•  • 

180 

Southern  End  of  Colonnade  Avenue  . 
The  Forum  at  Jerash . 

•  •  1 

\  184 

Bedouins  at  Dinner . 

Midianitish  Cameleers . 

[  238 

Village  School . 

Fishing  Boats  on  Sea  of  Galilee  .  . 

; ;  ! 

[  246 

MAPS. 

Map  of  Palestine . 

58 

Map  of  City  of  Jerash  ....... 

•  f 

186 

II 


Palestine 


Blest  land  of  Judea  1  thrice  hallow’d  of  song. 

Where  the  holiest  of  memories  pilgrim-like  throng ; 
In  the  shade  of  thy  palms,  by  the  shores  of  thy  sea, 
On  the  hills  of  thy  beauty,  my  heart  is  with  thee. 

With  the  eye  of  a  spirit  I  look  on  that  shore. 

Where  pilgrim  and  prophet  have  linger’d  before ; 
With  the  glide  of  a  spirit  I  traverse  the  sod 
Made  bright  by  the  steps  of  the  angels  of  God. 

Blue  sea  of  the  hills !  in  my  spirit  I  hear 
Thy  waters,  Gennesaret,  chime  on  my  ear ; 

Where  the  Lowly  and  Just  with  the  people  sat  down, 
And  thy  spray  on  the  dust  of  his  sandals  was  thrown. 

Beyond  are  Bethulia’s  mountains  of  green, 

And  the  desolate  hills  of  the  wild  Gadarene ; 

And  I  pause  on  the  goat-crags  of  Tabor  to  see 
The  gleam  of  thy  waters,  O  dark  Galilee ! 


I  tread  where  the  twelve  in  their  wayfaring  trod ; 

I  stand  where  they  stood  with  the  chosen  of  God  — 

Where  His  blessings  were  heard,  and  His  lessons  were  taught. 
Where  the  blind  were  restored,  and  the  healing  was  wrought. 

O,  here  with  His  flock  the  sad  Wanderer  came  — 

These  hills  He  toil’d  over  in  grief,  are  the  same  — 

The  founts  where  He  drank  by  the  way-side  still  flow, 

And  the  same  airs  are  blowing  which  breathed  on  His  brow. 


13 


Palestine 


But  wherefore  this  dream  of  the  earthly  abode 
Of  humanity  clothed  in  the  likeness  of  God  ? 

Were  my  spirit  but  turn'd  from  the  outward  and  dim, 

It  would  gaze,  even  now,  on  the  presence  of  Him! 

Not  in  clouds  and  in  terrors,  but  gentle  as  when. 

In  love  and  in  meekness,  He  moved  among  men ; 

And  the  voice  which  breathed  peace  to  the  waves  of  the  sea, 
In  the  hush  of  my  spirit  would  whisper  to  me  I 

And  what  if  my  feet  may  not  tread  where  He  stood, 

Nor  my  ears  hear  the  dashing  of  Galilee’s  flood. 

Nor  my  eyes  see  the  cross  which  He  bow’d  him  to  bear, 

Nor  my  knees  press  Gethsemane’s  garden  of  prayer. 

Yet,  Loved  of  the  Father,  thy  Spirit  is  near 
To  the  meek,  and  the  lowly,  and  penitent  here ; 

And  the  voice  of  thy  love  is  the  same  even  now. 

As  at  Bethany’s  tomb,  or  on  Olivet’s  brow. 

O,  the  outward  hath  gone ! — but,  in  glory  and  power, 

The  Spirit  surviveth  the  things  of  an  hour ; 

Unchanged,  undeCaying,  its  Pentecost  flame 
On  the  heart’s  secret  altar  is  burning  the  same ! 

— ^Whittier. 


Introduction 


Concerning  Og 

Everyone  knows,  of  course,  about  Og,  the 
giant  king  of  Moses’  day,  whose  bedstead  was  so 
large  that  it  was  worthy  of  mention  in  the  sacred 
record,  and  was  taken  as  a  captured  curiosity  to 
the  land  of  the  Ammonites.^ 

But  our  present  interest  in  Og  centres  not  so 
much  in  the  size  of  the  man  and  the  peculiarities 
of  his  furniture,  as  in  one  or  two  facts  of 
geographical  and  historical  import,  which  serve 
to  give  the  name  of  the  giant  monarch  prominent 
mention  in  the  volume  in  hand. 

In  the  first  place,  the  kingdom  of  Bashan,  over 
which  he  ruled,  was  largely  coextensive  with  the 
territory  traversed  by  the  three  tourists,  whose 
pilgrimage  forms  the  subject  of  the  present  dis¬ 
sertation. 

Secondly,  Og’s  trait  of  exclusiveness,  mani¬ 
fested  specially  in  his  unwillingness  to  permit  the 
passage  of  the  Israelites  through  his  territory,  has 
been  transmitted  to  his  successors  in  power,  with 
the  result  herein  narrated. 

In  a  word,  it  may  be  said  that  King  Og  was 
the  creature  of  circumstances.  Bashan  and  the 

*  Deut.  iii.  1 1. 

15 


Introduction 


children  of  Israel  rescued  his  name  from  the 
ignominy  of  oblivion.  Had  he  been  the  monarch 
of  Cathay,  he  would  never  have  found  a  place  in 
the  sacred  book.  And  had  the  Israelites  not 
essayed  a  peaceful  passage  through  the  East- 
Jordan  territory,  the  name  of  Og  would  not  have 
appeared  on  the  present  page. 

It  was  his  good  fortune  to  rule  over  a  wide 
and  densely-populated  region,  remarkable  for  the 
variety  of  its  natural  features  and  the  unparalleled 
fertility  of  its  soil.  Nor  has  the  land  of  Bashan 
ceased  to  be  an  attractive  district  to  all  classes  of 
foreigners,  from  the  time  when  the  Israelites 
wrested  it  from  Og’s  hands,  to  the  present  day 
of  peaceful  invasions  by  well-intentioned  tourists. 
The  land  of  Og  possesses  a  peculiar  interest  for 
the  student  of  the  Bible,  even  though  its  giant 
ruler  has  perished,  and  the  only  evidences  of 
Israel’s  possession  are  the  curious  stone-heaps, 
known  as  “the  tombs  of  the  children  of  Israel." 
Bashan  no  longer  teems  with  a  vast  population, 
nor  would  its  inhabitants  intimidate  an  invading 
army.  The  natural  and  historical^  attractions, 
however,  remain  the  same,  and  tempted  the 
herein-mentioned  travellers  to  brave  the  interdic¬ 
tions  of  Og’s  successors  and  journey  in  the  trans- 
Jordanic  country. 


16 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 


I 

PLANS  AND  PREPARATIONS 

Travelling  in  Bashan  may  be  likened  to  a  trip 
by  rail  from  New  York  to  Chicago  in  that  it  dif¬ 
fers  from  it  in  every  particular.  One  advantage 
of  the  former  is  the  absence  of  “stuffy  ”  coaches, 
— abundance  of  ventilation,  especially  on  cold 
and  rainy  nights.  Other  advantages  are  not  so 
apparent.  Possibly  the  avoidance  of  porters’  fees 
at  first-class  hotels  might  be  mentioned;  but  that 
necessarily  argues  the  non-existence  of  the  hotels. 
The  trip  by  rail  may  be  planned  and  executed  in 
a  short  space  of  time  and  with  a  minimum  of 
mental  energy.  A  tour  in  Bashan  requires  hope 
for  its  inception,  experience  for  its  preparation, 
patience  for  its  management,  time  for  its  comple¬ 
tion. 

Indeed,  it  may  be  truthfully  said  that  the 

journey  herein  described  had  its  beginning  in 

17 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

hopes,  rather  than  in  expectations.  Every  mis¬ 
sionary  in  Syria  probably  hopes  that  he  may  cross 
the  Jordan  (speaking  literally  as  well  as  meta¬ 
phorically)  and  visit  the  land  of  Gilead  and 
Bashan.  Few,  however,  see  their  hopes  realized. 
It  was  a  happy  concurrence  of  circumstances  that 
enabled  not  only  one,  but  three  missionaries 
actually  to  carry  out  plans  which  had  been 
formulated  fully  three  months  before. 

At  first  it  was  treated  as  a  mere  delightful 
project;  then  plans  of  missionary  work  were  laid 
with  an  ample  hiatus  from  the  middle  of  October 
and  onward'.  Later  on,  as  the  expedition  looked 
more  and  more  feasible,  the  question  of  an 
itinerary  was  broached,  and  desirable  points  of 
interest  settled  upon.  Now  plans  and  counter¬ 
plans  passed  back  and  forth,  the  possibilities  and 
actualities  of  camp  outfit,  provisions  and  the  like 
were  docketed  and  checked  off;  and  when  the 
date  was  set,  there  followed  an  interval  of  sus¬ 
pense.  What  innumerable  hindrances  might  arise 
to  thwart  all  plans ! 

For  a  missionary  may  not  order  his  affairs  with 
the  precision  of  a  bank  clerk.  His  services  are 
“pro  bono  publico,”  and  noteworthy  is  this  in¬ 
genuity  displayed  by  his  “public”  in  introduc¬ 
ing  into  the  sphere  of  his  activities  all  classes  and 

18 


Plans  and  Preparations 

descriptions  of  duties; — theological,  educational, 
pastoral,  political,  financial,  medical,  practical; — 
duties  to  the  young,  duties  to  the  old;  duties  to 
the  living,  duties  to  the  dead;  duties  to  the  rich, 
duties  to  the  poor;  duties  to  the  learned,  duties 
to  the  ignorant;  duties  to  the  single,  who  wish  to 
be  married;  duties  to  the  married,  who  wish  to 
be  single.  Indeed,  it  is  well  if,  in  the  multiplicity 
of  varied  duties,  he  keep  ever  uppermost  his 
chief  vocation,  and  say  with  Paul,  “I  am  made 
all  things  to  all  men,  that  I  might  by  all  means 
save  Some.'* 

The  bearing  of  this  disquisition  upon  the  ques¬ 
tion  in  hand  is  that  a  funeral,  or  a  new  school,  or 
a  fallen  wall,  or  a  church  quarrel,  or  a  sick  child, 
might  have  caused  irreparable  delay  to  any  one  of 
the  three. 

In  fact,  one  circumstance  did  arise,  which  at 
the  time  somewhat  dampened  the  ardor  of  the 
would-be  tourists.  It  was  a  governmental  matter. 
Tis  a  queer  coincidence  that  the  Turkish  govern¬ 
ment  is  quite  as  unwilling  to  open  the  doors  of 
Bashan’s  hospitality  to  foreigners,  as  were  Sihon 
and  Og  in  their  day  to  grant  leave  of  passage  to 
Moses  and  Joshua  and  Hur.  He  who  wears  a 
hat  is  viewed  with  the  eye  of  suspicion  and  dis¬ 
trust  by  olficials  and  dwellers  in  those  inland  re- 

19 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

a 

gions.  Permissions  are  rarely  granted  to  intend¬ 
ing  tourists,  and  recent  cases  have  occurred 
where  travellers  were  turned  back,  or  kept  wait¬ 
ing  on  the  borders  for  the  proper  papers,  until 
time  and  patience  were  exhausted. 

Knowing  this  full  well,  the  plans  of  the  present 
party  had  not  included  an  application  to  the  gov¬ 
ernment;  but  by  some  fortuitous  circumstance 
such  application  was  made  through  the  Consulate 
to  the  Governor-General  of  the  Damascus  Wilayet, 
with  the  result  that  a  most  courteous  answer  was 
returned,  stating  that  a  request  had  been  sent  to 
Constantinople  for  an  Imperial  Irade! 

Three  unoffending  American  missionaries,  with 
no  possible  ulterior  motive,  must  await  the  pleas¬ 
ure  of  his  Ottomanic  majesty  to  investigate  the 
import  and  consequences  of  this  highly  important 
political  move,  and  grant  his  sovereign  permission 
for  a  three-weeks’  tour  in  this  part  of  his  domain! 
But  the  result  was, a  foregone  certainty.  Con¬ 
stantinople,  if  need  be,  is  at  the  ends  of  the  earth. 
As  well  might  one  have  established  telepathic 
communication  with  Og  himself,  and  gained 
possession  of  that  monarch’s  (presumably)  gi¬ 
gantic  seal-ring,  whereby  to  make  legal  the  intru¬ 
sion  into  his  territory. 

There  is  a  useful  Arabic  proverb  to  the  effect 

20 


Plans  and  Preparations 

that  ''  every  act  accomplished  is  lawful,  and  every 
act  discussed  is  forbidden.”  It  is  not  a  bad  prov¬ 
erb  in  its  practical  workings.  The  proposal  to 
apply  it  to  the  present  emergency  met  with 
unanimous  approval.  According  to  agreement, 
therefore,  on  a  Friday  afternoon  late  in  October, 
the  three  parties  to  this  clandestine  expedition 
met  at  Judeideh,  near  Mount  Hermon,  each  from 
a  different  mission  station,  and  all  realizing  the 
nature  of  the  undertaking.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
roughing  it”  must  be  the  general  order  for  the 
day.  Not  even  '‘the  king’s  highway”^  appears 
to  solace  the  weary  traveller.  Nor  may  he  call  for 
many  “extras”  of  any  kind  with  hopes  of  suc¬ 
cess  in  obtaining  them. 

True,  the  “  Cook’s  Personally  Conducted  ”  may 
pay  his  ten  dollars  a  day,  and  expect  to  travel 
with  considerable  luxury  on  the  well-beaten  routes 
west  of  Jordan.  But,  withal,  the  “Personally 
Conducted  ”  is  an  object  of  pity.  He  belongs  to 
his  dragoman,  and  must  accept  his  statements  as 
the  quintessence  of  veracity  ;  he  is  beset  by  im¬ 
pertinent  beggars;  his  “mount”  maybe  the  first 
or  the  worst  in  his  experience;  he  knows  no 
Arabic  (except  a  few  “swear-words”  in  general 
use  by  muleteers).  And  think  what  he  misses! 

*  Num.  xxi.  22. 

21 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

All  previous  knowledge  of  the  Arab  and  his  ways; 
the  relative  value  of  money  (an  important  item  to 
the  average  missionary);  one’s  own  well-tried 
horse;  intimidation  of  saucy  urchins;  knowledge 
of  the  language;  choice  of  routes  in  detail;  ex¬ 
hilarating  experiences  in  new  roads;  privilege  of 
freeing  one’s  mind  to  the  muleteers  and  cook,  as 
occasion  warrants  or  demands ;  not  to  mention  the 
genuine  pleasure  in  setting  up  camp,” — build¬ 
ing  a  house  in  a  new  place  every  day.  Yes,  the 
missionary  has  the  advantage,  provided  he  makes 
use  of  it  in  the  right  way. 

The  party  under  discussion  believe  that  they 
did  proceed  according  to  approved  principles. 
Perhaps  a  recital  of  necessary  preparations  might 
suggest  work  rather  than  recreation.  But  what  is 
work  to  one  may  be  relaxation  to  another.  It  is 
undeniable  that  the  “  impedimenta  ”  in  such  an  ex¬ 
pedition  are  numerous  and  varied.  The  rendez¬ 
vous  that  Friday  afternoon  was  well-filled  with 
the  evidences  of  contemplated  travel,  audible  as 
well  as  otherwise.  Donkeys,  dogs  and  men  (and 
women,  too)  furnished  the  noise;  boxes,  bundles 
and  bales,  the  substantials. 

First,  there  were  the  tents  with  full  quota  of 

ropes  and  pegs,  and  a  generous  flag  to  top  them 

all  and  display  the  stars  and  stripes.  Folding 

22 


1 

•‘H 

T 

I  '>• 

■S 

!  * 

i  Plans  and  Preparations 

I  beds  and  plenty  of  bedding  must  go  along,  for 

■  good  sleep  is  better  than  a  tonic.  The  table  with 

all  its  equipments ;  pots,  kettles  and  kitchen  outfit, 

I  ,  suggest  the  necessity  of  food.  Hence  bags  of 

‘  many  sizes  found  a  place  in  the  loads,  filled  with 
i  cereals,  salt,  sugar  and  the  like.  A  whole  box 

I  was  devoted  to  cans, — cans  of  beef,  cans  of  fish, 

cans  of  corn,  cans  of  peas,  cans  large,  cans  small, 
cans  short,  cans  tall.  Bashan  boasts  no  grocery 
and  meat  shops.  Then  the  lights, — lanterns,  can¬ 
dles  and  matches;  rubber  goods  for  possible 
rain;  Bibles,  guide-books,  maps  and  papers;  tools 
and  medicines;  toilet  and  personal  articles  of 
wear,  including  a  laundered  shirt  against  the  time 
of  a  return  to  ‘‘civilization.” 

And  last  of  all  was  a  bag,  furnished  and  filled 
by  the  senior  member  of  the  party,  whose  motley 
:  contents  eked  out  the  wants  of  every  department 

of  camp  life  with  a  cheerful  disregard  for  the  pro¬ 
prieties  of  affinity  and  aesthetic  assortment. 


23 


11 


INTRODUCTIONS  BY  THE  WAY 

The  early  dawn  of  Saturday  witnessed  a  busy 
scene — a  fitting  prelude  to  the  labors  of  the  “first 
day  out."  The  heterogeneous  collection  of  travel¬ 
ling  effects  was  packed  and  arranged  with  careful 
calculation  as  to  minimum  of  bulk  and  maximum 
of  safety.  Glass  goods  were  tenderly  cared  for, 
and  an  honest  attempt  was  made  not  to  put  the 
horses'  feed-bags  in  the  box  with  the  rice  and 
cold  roast. 

When  all  had  been  arranged  satisfactorily  to 
the  minds  of  the  travellers,  the  public  weigher 
was  called.  With  his  old-fashioned  steelyards 
and  a  sturdy  muleteer  at  each  end  of  the  pole  he 
went  rapidly  from  one  bundle  to  another,  weigh¬ 
ing  each  one.  Then  by  a  judicious  combination 
of  these  according  to  weight,  the  loads  were 
“made  up"  with  equity  and  equilibrium.  For 
each  muleteer  is  obliged  by  contract  to  carry  on 
his  animal  a  maximum  of  sixty  rattles  (about 
three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds) ;  and,  unless  the 

services  of  the  weigher  have  been  previously  in- 

24 


THE  COOK  “EN  ROUTE”  THE  COOK  AT  WORK 


Introductions  by  the  Way 

yoked,  the  ordinary  muleteer  easily  forgets  his 
knack  of  estimating  weights.  The  public  weigher 
nips  in  the  bud  many  an  incipient  wordy  dispute, 
which  might  develop  into  mild  anarchy,  if  allowed 
to  follow  the  natural  course.  In  this  country  the 
tongue  is  mightier  than  the  brain. 

Let  us  not,  however,  disparage  the  Syrian 
muleteer.  He  is  of  the  utmost  use  to  the  tourist. 
He  is  the  freight  train  of  the  land.  With  sur¬ 
prising  ingenuity  he  assorts  the  most  conglom¬ 
erate  camp  outfit  into  an  exact  number  of  loads 
to  correspond  to  the  animals  engaged  ;  two 
heavy  packs  of  equal  weight  are  swung  on  the 
sides  of  each  mule,  and  a  lighter  bundle  is  fas¬ 
tened  in  the  middle  (unless  the  calculating  owner 
purposes  to  ride  on  the  load  over  the  long,  weary 
stretches).  And  the  wonder  is  that  this  is  all  done 
by  means  of  but  tu'o  ropes  to  a  mule  load!  Woe 
betide  the  tourist  who  spendeth  his  shekels  for 
rope  and  bindeth  his  bundles  therewith  !  It  is 
not  needed  ;  it  is  extra;  it  disappears. 

Thus  securely  freighted,  away  goes  the 
mule  up  hill  and  down  dale,  over  rocky  bridle 
paths  by  courtesy  styled  roads,  fording  streams 
and  rivers  where  the  water  rushes  madly  over 
treacherous  stones,  yet  seldom  spilling  his  load. 
Behind  him  trudges  the  muleteer,  guiding  him  by 


1: 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

his  voice,  travelling  hour  after  hour  under  blazing 
sun  or  pouring  rain.  He  has  no  visible  wardrobe 
other  than  that  upon  his  back,  and  is  content  with 
an  amount  of  dry  bread  and  cheese  (frequently 
carried  for  convenience  under  his  arm)  that  would 
ill  serve  an  American  pauper.  He  sings* as  he 
goes,  with  hand  to  mouth,  evolving  crude,  ap¬ 
parently  inarticulate  strains,  in  a  hollow,  minor 
key,  that  may  have  “charms  to  sooth  a  savage 
breast.” 

Such  is  the  man  who  “  moors  ”  you  for  half  a 
dollar  a  day,  including  mule  and  feed,  his  own 
scanty  fare,  and  his  services  in  setting  up  camp, 
watering  and  cleaning  your  horse,  aiding  the 
cook,  and  being  general  factotum. 

Since  it  is  becoming  that  the  members  of  the 
present  company  should  be  properly  introduced, 
the  muleteers  may  first  come  forward  for  recog¬ 
nition.  They  display  all  the  characteristics  of 
their  guild,  even  to  the  immense  darning  needle 
visible  in  their  headgear.  This  last  is  used  both 
to  baste  up  bundles  and  also  to  encourage  lagging 
mules.  Aside  from  differences  in  temper  and  age, 
all  muleteers  are  alike.  Their  individuality  yields 
to  their  profession.  In  a  bargain  for  services  the 
mules  are  hired,  and  the  muleteers  are  treated  as 

a  necessary  accompaniment.  Hence  names  are 

26 


J 


Introductions  by  the  Way 

of  little  consequence.  It  may  be  interesting,  how¬ 
ever,  to  note  that  on  this  occasion  both  Job  and 
Elijah  were  represented  by  namesakes.  But 
the  leading  characteristics  of  those  ancient  heroes 
were  not  confined  to  their  successors  in  name. 
Each  one  of  the  expedition  had  opportunity  to 
display  something  of  the  patience  of  Job  and  the 
sturdy  courage  of  Elijah  in  the  face  of  difficulties. 

Khaleel,  the  cook,  deserves  a  special  word 
of  introduction.  For  he  is  a  functionary 
hardly  to  be  dispensed  with.  The  lines  by  Owen 
Meredith  meet  with  full  corroboration  in  the  daily 
experience  of  the  tourist  : 


«  We  may  live  without  poetry,  music  and  art ; 

We  may  live  without  conscience  and  live  without  heart ; 
We  may  live  without  friends;  we  may  live  without  books ; 
But  civilized  man  cannot  live  without  cooks.” 


Now  the  chef  of  this  party  is  assuredly  an  im¬ 
portant  personage,  and  realizes  it  (far  more  than 
do  the  others).  He  has  gotten  into  pantaloons 
and  boots,  wears  a  girdle  and  revolver,  has  his 
headgear  arranged  in  true  dragomanic  style,  and 
gives  tone  to  the  whole  party.  He  affects  a  dis¬ 
play  of  fancy  horsemanship  upon  telling  occa¬ 
sions,  and  makes  it  his  duty  to  repeat  orders  given 

to  the  muleteers  and  guides,  by  way  of  emphasis 

27 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

both  to  the  command  and  to  the  importance  of 
his  position. 

His  cooking,  however,  is  not  to  be  despised, 
considering  the  environment.  No  well-arranged 
kitchen  with  stove  and  sink  and  pantry  close  at 
hand,  not  even  a  table,  can  he  boast.  His  kitchen 
is  the  open  air  ;  his  stove  is  a  low,  shallow  trough 
of  sheet  iron,  so  arranged  that  pans  and  skillet 
may  rest  just  above  the  fire  of  glowing  charcoal  in 
it.  His  larder  is  as  nomadic  as  he, — sometimes  all 
in  a  heap,  according  to  the  revised  version  of  the 
rule,  *‘a  place  for  everything,  and  everything  in 
that  place]”  sometimes  scattered  amongst  the 
boxes  in  both  tents.  His  work  table  is  the  ground 
about  him,  in  this  respect  fully  in  accordance  with 
the  genius  of  the  country  in  doing  all  work  on  the 
lowest  possible  level,  either  sitting  with  feet 
tucked  under  or  standing  in  a  bow-shaped,  back¬ 
breaking  position.  (Brooms  in  this jcountry  have 
handles  about  six  inches  long  ;  bread  is  kneaded 
on  a  table  as  many  inches  low ;  and  one  maid 
was  heard  to  exclaim  with  delight,  when  a  new 
hand-sew'ing  machine  appeared,  “  Oh,  now  1 
can  sit  on  the  floor  and  sew  with  it  in  my  lap  !  ") 

Add  to  these  circumstances  the  fact  that  ready 

cash  is  of  no  avail  in  a  district  where  there  is 

nothing  to  purchase,  and  the  wonder  grows  that 

28 


Introductions  by  the  Way 

the  cook  is  able  to  provide  for  hungry  men  as 
well  as  he  does,  with  a  handful  of  coals,  out  in 
the  wilderness,  under  the  stars. 

Perhaps  a  part  of  the  secret  is  found  in  the 
abundance  of  fresh  air  and  physical  exercise. 
These  are  excellent  sauce.  When  one  is  at 
home,  the  mind  may  revert  to  delicate  puddings, 
juicy  roasts  and  garnished  side  dishes.  But  for 
the  hungry  traveller,  burned  by  the  hot  sun  and 
dusty  within  and  without,  the  evening  meal, 
served  in  the  moonlight  just  outside  the  tent, 
dispels  all  envious  thoughts.  There  may  be 
nothing  more  than  a  moderate  supply  of  native 
bread  and  a  fried  egg  or  two,  with  olives  and 
cheese  and  a  possible  can  of  salmon  or  beef ; — it  is 
eaten  with  gratitude  and  meets  the  present  want. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  bill  of  fare  does 
not  undergo  many  variations;  canned  goods  play 
a  large  part  in  its  make-up,  and  one  may  be  par¬ 
doned  if  he  think  sometimes  of  the  home  with 
its  well-ordered  table  and  varied  supplies.  It  was 
Henry  Drummond  who,  after  months  of  explor¬ 
ing  in  the  heart  of  Africa,  remarked  in  effect  that 
all  “  tinned  ”  goods  had  come  to  taste  alike  to 
him,  from  kippered  herring  and  strawberry  jam 
through  all  the  steps  of  the  tiring  gamut  to  sar¬ 
dines  and  the  like. 


29 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

A  word  as  to  the  missionaries  themselves. 
Please  do  not  bring  to  mind,  forbearing  reader, 
the  picture  of  the  sedate  and  serious  gentleman 
found  on  the  front  cover  of  your  missionary 
magazine.  Clad  in  flowing  ministerial  garb,  with 
broad-brimmed  hat,  long  white  beard,  an  open 
book  in  his  left  hand,  he  is  earnestly  exhorting  an 
all-absorbed  gathering  of  half-clad  savages,  who 
have  laid  aside  their  spears  and  wicker  shields  in 
their  eager  desire  to  drink  in  the  eloquent  words 
of  the  preacher.  No;  such  a  picture  could  not 
have  been  realized  in  the  present  group.  For 
this  trio  of  tourists  consisted  of  three  young  men, 
forgetful  for  the  nonce  of  the  cares  and  responsi¬ 
bilities  of  missionary  service,  from  which  they 
were  temporarily  released.  They  were  off  for  a 
vacation  to  a  part  of  the  country  seldom  visited, 
and  enjoyed  it  all  the  more  for  the  added  spice  of 
its  quasi-illegality. 

True,  they  had  not  forgotten  to  bring  Bibles, 

nor  did  they  fail  to  use  them  as  occasion  offered. 

But  these  weapons  of  peace  were  accompanied 

by  others  not  so  suggestive  of  tranquillity.  Shot 

guns,  revolvers,  rifle  and  dogs  were  taken  with 

the  expectation  of  hunting,  and  for  defence,  if 

necessary.  And  why  should  not  a  missionary 

hunt,  especially  with  the  example  of  David  before 

30 


PUBLIC  WEIGHER 


THRESHING  THE  WHEAT 


Introductions  by  the  Way 

him,  who  undoubtedly  supplied  his  needs  from 
the  larder  of  nature.  For  he  had  fled  from  before 
Saul  to  similar  regions  of  forest,  hill  and  dale,  and 
the  adroit  reference^  to  his  outlawed  condition 
was  evidently  inspired  by  his  own  experiences  in 
hunting  partridges,  as  plentiful  then,  as  now. 
Be  it  said  that  many  a  partridge  graced  the  trav¬ 
ellers’  table  in  the  wilderness,  and  the  eastern 
hills  yielded  their  choicest  game  to  the  hunters. 

Three  congenial  companions  were  they,  ready 
to  accept  with  good  will  every  hardship,  fatigue, 
or  danger.  One  was  dubbed  “  our  aged  friend,” 
— an  entire  misnomer,  save  in  the  trifling  matter  of 
seniority.  He  was  the  moving  spirit  of  the  enter¬ 
prise,  thoroughly  acquainted  by  long  experience 
with  all  the  traits  of  the  genus  “Arab,”  and  a 
keen  observer  of  every  noticeable  characteristic 
or  peculiarity  in  landscape,  inhabitants  and  build¬ 
ings  old  and  new.  He  usually  arrived  first  at  the 
proposed  camping-place,  and,  throwing  off  his 
coat,  engaged  in  untying  ropes,  setting  up 
tents,  driving  pegs,  and  directing  operations 
generally. 

The  second  member  of  the  trio  was  “our  liter¬ 
ary  friend,”  endowed  with  a  genius  for  journal¬ 
istic  effort,  the  statistician  of  the  party. 

*  I  Sam.  xxvi.  20. 

31 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

The  “otherwise  man"  completed  the  number, 
remarkable  for  nothing  worthy  of  note. 

The  cavalcade,  whose  component  elements 
have  been  thus  introduced,  was  a  long  one  in  its 
entirety,  as  it  left  Judeideh  on  a  Saturday  morn¬ 
ing  and  travelled  toward  Hermon.  Three  mis¬ 
sionaries,  four  muleteers,  one  cook,  four  horses, 
four  mules,  two  donkeys,  and  two  dogs  were 
the  joint  members  of  the  expedition,  each  one 
indispensable  in  his  position. 

Old  Sol,  jovial  orb  of  light  and  heat,  beamed 
benignantly  upon  the  tourists,  as  they  rode 
along  toward  the  village  where  they  were  to 
spend  the  Sabbath.  They  had  not  far  to  travel, 
and  had  been  over  the  road  many  a  time.  It 

had  led  them  at  first  southward  in  a  well- 

watered  plain,  by  the  site  of  old  Ijon,  the 

northernmost  town  of  ancient  Palestine.^  It 

passed  near  Abel,  once  saved  by  a  wise 
woman’s  advice  from  Joab’s  destructive  fury.* 
Thence  it  crossed  one  of  the  streams,  which 
unite  to  form  the  Jordan,  and  over  a  rich, 
alluvial  plain  to  the  southern  base  of  the  noble 
Hermon  range. 

The  day  was  exceedingly  hot,  and  the  travellers 
were  well-nigh  overcome  with  thirst.  Even  the 

>  2  Kings  XV.  29.  2  2  Sam,  xx.  16-22. 

32 


Introductions  by  the  Way 

expected  cold  draught  from  the  fountain  near 
the  river,  where  they  lunched,  had  been  denied, 
by  reason  of  a  family  washing  in  progress  at  the 
fountain  itself,  amidst  the  thicket  of  oleanders 
and  low  shrubs.  Hence  the  great,  gushing,  ice- 
cold  fountains  at  Banias  were  hailed  with  de¬ 
light. 

There  is  the  main  source  of  the  Jordan,  emerg¬ 
ing  from  the  very  base  of  snow-capped  Hermon, 
out  of  that  vast  storehouse  of  pent-up  waters, 
bubbling  up  into  a  wide  stream,  which  connects 
as  by  a  silvery  band  those  two  objects  of  sacred 
interest, — Hermon  and  Galilee.  These  waters 
gush  forth  from  the  midst  of  a  natural  amphi¬ 
theatre,  whose  towering  walls  are  formed  of 
solid  rock.  Leafy  trees  entwine  their  branches 
across  the  stream  from  bank  to  bank,  and  thus 
afford  a  shady  retreat  from  the  glowing  sun. 
Such  a  gem  of  nature  could  not  escape  the  eye 
of  worshipping  man;  there  are  found  to-day 
niches  carved  in  the  rocky  walls, — a  rural  temple 
to  the  god  Pan.  Traces  of  the  fact  also  exist  in 
the  name  of  the  village,  Banias,  that  is,  Pan  ias. 
But  Pan  is  gone,  leaving  no  blessing,  unless  by 
his  order  those  springs  continue  to  refresh  thirsty 
travellers  with  their  abundant  waters,  cold  as 
Hermon’s  snows. 


33 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Across  a  slope  and  up  an  opposite  mountain 
side  is  Ain  Kunyeh,  almost  the  last  outpost  of  the 
American  mission,  on  the  border  of  the  Jaulan, 
the  Arabs'  land.  There  the  tents  were  pitched, 
near  a  fountain,  under  the  shade  of  tall  poplars, 
with  the  flag  waving  proudly  in  the  breeze. 
After  supper  the  evening  was  spent  with  the 
Syrian  friends,  and  all  united  at  the  close  in  the 
customary  evening  devotions.  The  missionaries 
gladly  retired;  for  on  the  morrow  they  must  ful¬ 
fill  their  duties  as  preachers  of  the  Word. 


34 


Ill 

A  SABBATH  DAY’S  JOURNEY 

Although  missionary  work  is  not  the  theme  of 
this  volume,  it  may  be  permissible  to  take  one 
glimpse  of  a  mission  outpost,  even  though  it 
involve  a  delay  in  entering  the  desired  country. 
Being  Sunday,  the  time  is  opportune  both  for  the 
visitors  and  the  visited. 

It  was  the  privilege  of  the  “  otherwise  man  ” 

to  minister  to  the  church  at  Mejdel,  distant  an 

hour  and  a-half  from  Ain  Kunyeh.  This  was  his 

second  visit,  made  after  the  lapse  of  over  five 

years.  How  well  he  recalled  the  first  occasion! 

He  was  on  his  “maiden  trip"  in  the  country,  in 

company  with  the  missionary  in  charge  of  the 

district.  His  knowledge  of  the  Arabic  was 

extremely  limited.  From  his  gesticulations  and 

frantic  efforts  to  be  intelligible,  one  might  have 

thought  him  a  direct  arrival  from  the  tower  of 

Babel.  All  was  new  to  him,  at  that  time, — 

language,  people,  customs  and  history.  He  had 

already  seen  and  heard  much  that  was  interesting, 

and  Mejdel  was  an  added  chapter.  He  listened 

35 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

with  amazement  to  his  missionary  guide  as  he 
unfolded  to  him  the  history  of  the  place. 

It  was  made  up  of  Christians  and  Druzes, 
whose  lack  of  harmony  was  proverbial.  Rough, 
sturdy  mountaineers  they 'were,  bronzed  by  the 
summer  sun  and  toughened  by  the  winter  snow; 
for  Mejdel  is  high  up  on  the  southeastern  slope 
of  Hermon.  Farming,  grazing,  robbing  and 
being  robbed  made  up  the  round  of  their  life. 
Yet  when  the  gospel  reached  the  hearts  of  some 
of  those  uncouth  robber-farmers,  it  transformed 
them  into  true  and  faithful  followers  of  Christ, 
as  strong  and  robust  in  their  acceptance  of  the 
truth,  as  they  had  been  before  in  unlawful  pur¬ 
suits. 

The  advent  of  the  missionary  and  his  guest  on 

that  summer  day  five  years  ago  was  an  occasion 

of  unusual  interest  to  the  villagers.  They  came 

to  the  schoolhouse  both  to  converse  with  their 

missionary  friend  and  counsellor,  and  also  to  see 

the  newcomer.  With  laughable  frankness  the 

missionary  interlarded  his  Arabic  conversation 

with  remarks  in  English  (supposably  translations 

of  the  conversations,  but  really  characterizations 

of  the  different  individuals  about  him),  as  That 

man  was  once  the  most  noted  cattle  thief  in  all 

this  district”;  or,  “This  one  is  the  prince  of 

36 


A  Sabbath  Day’s  Journey 

liars,"  (evidently  someone  in  whom  regeneration 
had'  not  blossomed  out  into  perfect  fruition)  ; 
and  other  remarks  which  revealed  both  the  need 
of  the  pure  gospel  in  some  lives  and  its  manifest 
work  in  others.  Thus  the  time  was  spent  that 
day,  and  it  is  a  question  which  profited  more, 
the  sturdy  farmers  or  the  pupil  missionary. 

Two  years  after  this  visit,  occurred  a  general 
uprising  of  the  Druzes  in  all  that  region.  Mejdel 
and  Ain  Kunyeh  were  burned  and  looted  and 

destruction  was  rife.  Not  that  the  Druzes  did 

¥ 

it  all ;  oh,  no  I  The  Turkish  soldiers,  conser¬ 
vators  of  the  peace  and  protectors  of  the  helpless, 
took  a  large  part  in  the  proceedings,  as  only 
Turkish  soldiers  can  do.  The  whole  town  was 
laid  waste,  and  the  Protestant  church  did  not 
escape.  The  girders  under  the  sheet-iron  roof 
were  badly  burned  and  the  roof  was  in  danger 
of  falling  in.  Complaint  was  made  to  the  gov¬ 
ernment  by  the  missionary  in  charge,  and  was  so 
vigorously  followed  up  that  orders  were  sent  to 
the  town  official  (Turkish  of  course)  to  replace 
the  damaged  girders.  He  purchased  the  neces¬ 
sary  lumber  at  a  neighboring  village  (and  never 
paid  for  it),  and  so  the  church  and  preacher’s 
home  were  restored. 

But  the  poor  inhabitants  suffered  intensely. 

37 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

The  winter  was  upon  them,  and  their  supplies 
had  all  disappeared.  This  opportunity  was 
eagerly  seized  by  the  missionaries  to  minister  to 
their  wants,  both  temporal  and  spiritual.  Such 
was  the  ordeal  of  fire  and  sword  in  the  Hermon 
district,  which,  terrible  as  it  was,  could  be  called 
but  an  echo  of  the  fiendish  work  done  at  that 
time  in  Armenia.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  love  of 
the  government  is  notably  wanting  in  this  land  ? 

Again  a  period  of  three  years  passed  by, — years 
of  toil,  which  served  to  restore  the  face  of  nature. 
This  Sunday,  morning  the  missionary  rode 
through  the  town  for  the  second  time,  glad  in 
the  thought  of  meeting  again  some  of  those  with 
whom  he  was  unable  to  speak  at  the  first  visit. 
Now  he  could  give  them  the  gospel  message  in 
their  own  tongue.  He  had  hurried  away  from 
camp  as  early  as  possible.  Yet  he  arrived  almost 
too  late.  For  as  he  tied  his  horse  to  a  native 
hand  millstone  (referred  to  by  Solomon  ^  and  our 
Lord^),  he  heard  the  Syrian  preacher  announce 
the  text.  Quietly  entering  the  church,  he  took 
his  seat  on  the  floor  with  the  worshippers.  The 
preacher  paused,  somewhat  confused,  then  asked 
in  broken  English,  '‘Do  you  like  to  preach?" 
The  missionary  stepped  forward,  clad  in  his 

*  Eccl.  xii.  4.  2  Matt.  xxiv.  41. 


38 


A  Sabbath  Day’s  Journey 

riding  garb,  and  his  homiletics  likewise  arrayed. 
Without  wishing  to  forestall  what  might  have 
been  a  more  profitable  sermon  than  his  own, 
nevertheless  he  did  not  care  to  miss  the  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  addressing  this  mountain  congregation. 
He  read  and  expounded  the  story  of  Naaman,  the 
Syrian,  as  a  type  of  sin  and  its  cure.  It  may  be 
that  Naaman  passed  through  Mejdel  on  his 
journeys  to  and  from  Samaria  ;  for  it  is  on  the 
great  highway  to  Damascus.  At  any  rate  the 
Syrian  prince  furnished  the  material  for  a  plain 
gospel  message,  which  was  welcomed  by  the 
hearers  that  day.  Thoroughly  oriental  was  the 
scene  1  The  congregation  to  the  number  of 
seventy-five  were  seated  on  straw  mats  about 
three  sides  of  the  large,  unfurnished  room.  The 
favored  ones  found  physical  support  by  leaning 
I  against  the  wall,  while  the  rest  “  squatted  ”  wher¬ 
ever  they  could  find  enough  matted  surface.  The 
men  occupied  one  side  of  the  room,  and  the 
women  the  other,  with  a  flaming  red  curtain 
hanging  between.  The  costumes  were  doubtless 
in  the  fashion  of  Naaman’s  day.  Yet  that  un¬ 
cultured  audience  paid  excellent  (and  often  audi¬ 
ble)  attention,  nor  would  the  preacher  have  ex¬ 
changed  pulpits  with  any  western  divine. 

After  the  service  the  rural  congregation  gath- 

39 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

ered  in  the  parlor  of  the  native  helper  and  re¬ 
newed  acquaintance  (in  Arabic)  with  one  whom 
they  had  seen  five  years  before.  This  visit  was  a 
pleasant  sequel  to  the  other,  and  the  service  ren¬ 
dered  was  a  true  delight  to  the  man  who  hopes 
for  better  things. 

Discouragement  found  no  lodgment  in  the 
thoughts  of  the  otherwise  man,”  as  he  turned 
back  from  the  delightful  morning  gathering. 
Even  had  the  responsive  hearers  left  any  shade  of 
doubt,  surely  the  ride  itself  would  have  dispelled 
it  all.  As  he  checked  his  horse  at  the  summit  of 
a  high  ridge,  a  magnificent,  suggestive  view  lay 
all  about  him.  To  the  north,  majestic  Hermon 
with  its  hoary  head  stretched  at  great  length  like 
some  prostrate  giant.  At  its  base  were  many 
villages.  To  the  east  and  south  the  great  plain 
was  lost  in  the  distance — the  land  of  Og,  pro¬ 
ductive  Bashan.  The  western  horizon  was 
closed  by  the  undulating  line  of  mountain  ridges 
in  Naphtali  and  Zebulon. 

Far  below,  at  the  opening  of  a  deep  valley, 
Banias  appeared, — not  much  in  itself,  but  might¬ 
ily  stirring  the  memory.  For  it  is  the  site  of 
Caesarea  Philippi,  one  of  the  grandest  of  Roman 
cities,  made  sacred  by  the  entrance  of  Christ, 

doubtless  over  the  very  Roman  bridge  that  spans 

40 


A  Sabbath  Day’s  Journey 

e  chasm  to-day.  To  the  right  of  the  town, 
crowning  a  high  spur  of  Hermon,  are  the  ruins 
of  a  mighty  Crusaders’  castle,  more  massive  than 
any  other  in  Syria,  vying  with  the  famed  Rhine 
castles  of  Germany.  There  it  stands,  the  monu¬ 
ment  of  man’s  attempt  to  found  a  Christian  em¬ 
pire  by  strength  of  arm  and  frowning  tower. 

Another  peak  of  Hermon,  not  far  from  the 

Roman  city,  looking  toward  the  south  country, 

is  in  all  likelihood  the  scene  of  a  transaction  far 

surpassing  the  building  of  Crusaders’  castles, 

even  as  God’s  works  are  grander  than  man’s. 

There  occurred  the  transfiguration  of  our  Lord, 

when  He  ushered  Moses  and  Elijah  into  His 

presence  to  talk  with  them  prophetically  of  His 

marvellous  redemptive  act, — His  death,  that  the 

world  might  live.  In  that  presence  how  small 

appear  man’s  mightiest  works;  how  weak  his 

strongest  efforts!  The  divine  purpose,  born  in 

eternity,  which  prompted  the  living  gift  of  a 

dying  Saviour,  transcends  in  depth  and  breadth 

the  greatest  plan  of  mightiest  earthly  sovereign. 

God’s  purpose  in  redemption  includes  all  times 

and  all  peoples.  Nor  can  man  tell  how  God  may 

choose  to  accomplish  His  purpose.  He  called 

Abraham  from  Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  David  from 

the  sheepcote,  Paul  from  a  rabbi’s  seat,  to  be-^ 

41 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

come  instruments  in  His  hand,  that  His  majesty 
might  be  revealed,  His  kingdom  triumph,  and 
Jesus  reign  forever  and  ever. 

The  preacher  might  return  to  camp  confident 
that  God’s  all-embracing  purpose  had  included 
his  sincere  effort  to  aid  and  cheer  the  little 
church  at  Mejdel.  His  “  Sabbath  Day’s  Journey  ” 
was  but  a  part  of  a  larger  plan. 

**  Nothing  useless  is,  or  low ; 

Each  thing  in  its  place  is  best ; 

And  what  seems  but  idle  show 

Strengthens  and  supports  the  rest.” 

•^Longfellow, 


42 


IV 


**THE  KINGDOMS  OF  THIS  WORLD 

The  Holy  Land  is  preeminently  a  historical 
country.  It  lives  in  memories  of  other  days.  In 
order  to  follow  with  interest  the  record  of  any 
section  of  the  land,  it  is  quite  essential  to  grasp 
the  outlines  of  the  country's  progress  as  a  whole. 
A  brief  historical  summary  may  therefore  be 
here  inserted  as  a  slight  aid  in  unravelling  the 
tangled  lines  of  world-power  which  have  been 
perplexingly  mingled  in  this  little  strip  of  sea- 
coast. 

If  one  might  take  his  stand  upon  some  lofty 
mountain-top,  and  call  in  review  before  him  the 
various  peoples  and  nations  that  have  entered 
and  held  this  land,  how  many  would  they  be, 
and  how  diverse  the  civilizations  I  Palestine  and 
Syria  are  the  battlefield  of  the  ages.  How  many 
pages  of  the  sacred  history  are  stained  by  the 
record  of  war  and  bloodshed! 

When  the  Israelites  came  up  from  Egypt  to 

possess  the  Promised  Land,  they  found  it  already 

43 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

occupied  by  many  tribes/  some  strong  and  others 
weak/  some  bound  together  by  loose  ties  of 
alliance  and  federation/  all  idol-worshippers* 
and  enemies  of  the  one  God.  Their  spies,  by 
describing  the  characteristics  of  the  West-Jordan 
nations,  early  frightened  them  into  abandoning 
the  original  intention  of  going  directly  up  by 
Hebron  and  Jerusalem.  Therefore  they  received 
long  punishment  for  their  cowardice  and  hard¬ 
ness  of  heart.  When  they  had  finished  their 
wanderings  in  the  wilderness,  then  they  at¬ 
tempted  to  encircle  the  Dead  Sea  and  peaceably 
pass  through  the  East-Jordan  countries,  unmo¬ 
lesting  and  unmolested.  They  even  asked  for¬ 
mal  permission®  of  Sihon,  king  of  the  Amorites, 
whose  kingdom  joined  Bashan  on  the  south. 
But  Sihon  looked  with  disfavor  upon  such  a 
wholesale  permission, — the  passage  of  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  men,  women  and  children,  to¬ 
gether  with  vast  numbers  of  animals  of  all  kinds. 
Such  a  host  would  drain  the  resources  of  the 
land.  So  he  refused,  and  consequently  God 
gave  to  His  children  a  victorious  passage.  When 
Israel  had  conquered  Sihon,  then  they  came  on  to 
Bashan. 

1  Gen.  XV.  19-21 ;  Ex.  iii.  8.  “  Judges  i.  7. 

*  Josh.  ix.  2.  *  Deut.  vi.  14.  ^  Deut.  ii.  26-29. 

44 


“The  Kingdoms  of  this  World” 

Og,  who  had  reigned  undisturbed  heretofore, 
was  not  dismayed  by  the  advance  of  this  pecul¬ 
iar  people,  travelling  from  Egypt  in  a  motley  cara¬ 
van.  He  “  went  out  against  them,  he  and  all  his 
people,  to  the  battle  at  Edrei."^  But  he  failed  to 
realize  that  God,  the  King  of  kings,  was  fighting 
Israel’s  battles.  He  met  utter  defeat,  and  was 
slain,  with  his  sons  and  all  his  people;  and  the 
Israelites  “possessed  his  land."^  Thus  waned 
the  star  of  his  power;  his  country  was  given  to 
aliens;  Bashan  was  allotted  to  the  half  tribe  of 
Manasseh;  the  one-time  land  of  Og  became  a 
Jewish  possession,  and  shared  with  the  rest  of 
Palestine  the  vicissitudes  of  war  and  empire. 

After  the  children  of  Israel  became  established 
in  the  land,  there  ensued  a  long  and  stormy 
period  under  the  judges.  Then  the  monarchy 
was  established  and  lasted  undivided  for  three 
generations,  when  ten  tribes  separated  from  two 
and  established  the  northern  kingdom.  After  this 
came  a  period  of  retrogression,  until  the  Assyr¬ 
ians  burst  upon  them  and  eventually  carried  cap¬ 
tive  the  whole  land.  Never  was  such  a  com¬ 
plete  destruction  known!  The  kingdom  of  Israel 
was  fairly  blotted  out!  The  tramp  of  the  east¬ 
ern  armies  resounded  throughout  Bashan  in  all 

»  Nam.  xxi.  33.  » Num.  xxi.  35. 


46 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

its  length  and  breadth,  and  Jordan's  fords  were 
crossed  by  myriads  of  the  Assyrian  host.  Da¬ 
mascus  fell  into  the  hands  of  Tiglath-Pileser,' 
and  the  whole  East-Jordan  country  was  stripped 
from  its  Jewish  possessors  and  became  an  Assyr¬ 
ian  province.’*  Sargon  later  completed  the  devas¬ 
tation,  and  the  kingdom  of  Israel  ended  igno- 
miniously. 

Nor  did  the  kingdom  of  Judah  fare  better. 
Nebuchadnezzar,  the  mighty  Babylonian  king, 
destroyed  Jerusalem  and  carried  the  people  into 
captivity.® 

Three  hundred  years  before  Christ  another  and 
a  distant  power  entered  the  country.  Alexander 
the  Great,  of  Macedonia,  carried  his  conquests 
over  all  known  seas  and  lands,  and  the  traces  of 
that  Grecian  civilization  are  scattered  through¬ 
out  Syria.  Massive  old  theatres,  stately  temples, 
inscriptions  and  coins,  show  that  the  people 
became  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  Grecian  cul- 
ture.  Even  the  Greek  language  in  a  measure 
supplanted  the  Hebrew  and  later  Aramaic. 

But  this  Hellenistic  tendency  eventually  aroused 
the  warlike  spirit  in  the  loyal  Jews,  and  the  noted 
Asmonean  family  of  the  Maccabees  restored  to 
the  nation  something  of  its  former  power. 

1 2  Kings  xvi.  9.  ^  l  Chron.  v.  26.  ^  2  Kings  xxiv.  14. 

46 


“The  Kingdoms  of  this  World” 


Yet  not  for  long.  After  b.  c.  63  the  formi¬ 
dable  Roman  influence  was  felt  in  the  land,  and 
Syria  became  a  Roman  province  under  the  rule 
of  the  Idumean  Herods.  Roman  architecture 
prevailed;  Roman  roads  overspread  the  country 
like  a  net;  Roman  law  and  justice  were  felt; 
Roman  geography  made  new  divisions  in  the 
land;  Roman  armies  razed  Jerusalem  to  the 
ground. 

After  Constantine  had  transferred  the  Roman 
capital  to  Constantinople,  Syria  remained  under 
.  the  power  of  the  Byzantine  rulers,  until  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  the  seventh  century.  Then  Chosroes 
II.,  king  of  Persia,  took  possession  for  an  inter¬ 
val  of  ten  years,  only  to  be  driven  back  by 
Heraclius,  the  Byzantine. 

His  reign,  however,  marked  the  rise  of  a  new 
power  in  Syria.  The  nomadic  Arab  tribes,  which 
had  always  wandered  more  or  less  over  Syria, 
and  w'ere  always  a  menace  to  Byzantine  rule,  had 
already  occupied  the  Hauran.  Now,  under  Mo¬ 
hammed's  unifying  influence,  this  rapidly-rising 
power  seized  all  the  land,  capturing  Damascus 
and  Jerusalem  in  rapid  succession.  They  swept 
all  before  them,  until  their  dominion  extended 
from  Egypt  to  the  Bosphorus. 

After  a  rule  of  more  than  four  hundred  years, 

47 


CHAPTER  V 

GEOGRAPHICAL 

Geography  is  not  one  of  the  exact  sciences.  It 
is  as  variable  as  history  itself.  The  kaleidoscope 
of  events  noted  in  the  preceding  chapter  had  its 
due  effect  upon  the  geographical  nomenclature 
of  the  Holy  Land.  It  is  the  purpose  of  this 
chapter  to  mention  some  of  the  changes  which 
occurred,  and  to  outline  the  geographical  condi¬ 
tions  of  the  trans-Jordanic  country  at  some  of  the 
most  important  periods  of  its  history,  beginning 
at  the  time  of  Og  himself. 

The  kingdom  over  which  Og  ruled,  was  in 
general  known  as  Bashan,  though  this  name  in 
some  places  in  the  sacred  geography  sinks  to  the 
level  of  a  section  of  the  whole  kingdom,  coordi¬ 
nate  with  Argob  and  Gilead. 

It  is  difficult  to  define  exactly  the  boundaries  of 
Bashan,  for  the  references  in  the  Old  Testament 
are  somewhat  indefinite.  From  the  investiga¬ 
tions  of  Robinson,  Schumacher,  Merrill  and 
others,  it  is  fairly  well  ascertained  that  Bashan  ex¬ 
tended  from  the  Jordan  river  eastward  for  fifty 

50 


Geographical 

miles  or  more,  to  the  Druze  mountains,  on  the 
edge  of  the  desert.  However  much  the  eastern 
boundary  may  be  in  doubt,  its  western  limit  is 
indisputably  fixed.  For  the  Jordan  has  cut  so 
deeply  into  the  soil,  that  with  all  its  windings 
and  twistings,  it  cannot  possibly  escape.  So  the 
western  boundary  begins  at  Mount  Hermon, 
where  the  Jordan  itself  begins,  and  keeps  on 
down  stream,  until  it  reaches  the  mouth  of  the 
Jabbok.  There  it  meets  the  southern  boundary, 
which  has  followed  that  historic  river  and  its 
.  tributaries  from  some  point  in  the  region  of 
Salched  at  the  southern  base  of  the  Druze  moun¬ 
tains.  The  northern  limit  is  approximately  on  a 
line  running  east  from  Hermon’s  southernmost 
point,  leaving  Damascus  on  the  north. 

In  extent  Bashan  covered  about  two-thirds  as 
much  territory  as  the  state  of  Connecticut.^ 
However,  not  having  the  transportation  facilities 
which  that  state  enjoys,  it  cannot  be  traversed  as 
rapidly. 

Og  transmitted  his  kingdom  (unwillingly)  to 
the  sons  Manasseh,  and  the  old  terminology  was 
not  altered.  But  when  the  Greeks  and  Romans 
appeared  upon  the  scene,  they  changed  many 
long-established  arrangements,  and  gave  new 

*  About  3,750  square  miles. 

51 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

names  to  old  Bashan, — Gaulonitis,  Auronitis, 
Trachonitis  and  Batanaea.  The  northern  half  of 
Gilead,  which  had  been  a  part  of  Og’s  possessions, 
became  known  as  the  Decapolis.  Augustus 
Caesar  bestowed  some  of  these  provinces  on 
Herod  the  Great  about  20  b.  c.  They  also  passed 
into  the  hands  of  his  son  Philip,  the  Tetrarchd 
After  him  Herod  Agrippa  ruled  all  the  territory. 

After  the  influx  of  the  Yemen  Arabs  about  the 
second  century,  a.  d.,  the  Roman  names  assumed 
Arabic  forms.  Gaulonitis  became  Jauldn,  Auro¬ 
nitis  Haurdn,  Trachonitis  Lejah,  Batanaea  Beta- 
neyeh,  the  Decapolis  ’Ajlun. 

Of  the  first  four  districts  Jaulan  is  the  most 
western,  touching  Galilee  and  the  upper  Jordan 
sources.  Hauran  borders  its  southern  half  toward 
the  east.  To  the  east  and  north  of  that  is  the 
Lejah,  while  Beteneyeh  occupies  the  extreme 
northeastern  portion.  ’Ajlun  is  situated  to  the 
south  of  Jaulan  and  Hauran,  and  is  separated 
from  them  by  the  deep  chasm  of  the  Yarmuk 
river  (the  Hieromax  of  ancient  history).  This 
district  includes  a  portion  of  the  famous  Ghor  of 
the  Jordan. 

Now  the  journeyings  east  of  the  sacred  river, 
noted  in  this  volume,  were  made  in  the  districts 


^  Luke  iii.  i. 
52 


Geographical 

of  Jaulan,  Hauran  and  ’Ajlun.  Hence  these  three 
sections  deserve  special  notice  geographically  and 
otherwise,  since  each  possesses  characteristics 
peculiarly  its  own. 

The  Jaulan  is  a  barren  plateau,  whose  note¬ 
worthy  feature  is  the  great  number  of  curious 
volcanic,  cone-like  peaks,  which  rise  up  solitarily 
from  the  surrounding  plain.  They  are  placed  in 
two  rows  somewhat  regularly  defined,  which 
extend  from  north  to  south.  In  some  of  these 
peculiar  sentinel  knolls  the  crater  is  very  distinct. 
In  one.  Tell  Abu  Nida, — a  very  high  cone,  visible 
for  miles  around, — the  crater  has  been  broken 
down  on  one  side,  as  if  the  lava  could  not  wait 
to  rise  to  the  top.  Another,  Tell  el  Faras,  has  a 
perfect  crater,  circular  in  appearance,  somewhat 
inclined,  so  that  it  shows  most  clearly  from  the 
north  side. 

These  lava  cones  have  influenced  the  topog¬ 
raphy  of  the  surrounding  country  in  a  remarkable 
way.  For  the  lava  which  flowed  from  them 
hardened  the  great  terraces.  The  lowest  terrace 
is  farthest  away  toward  the  west,  verging  on  the 
marshy  ground  about  the  waters  of  Merom.  The 
next  gigantic  wave  of  lava  evidently  swept  over 
the  surface  of  the  first,  but  hardened  before  it 

reached  the  outer  border.  And  so  the  succeeding 

53 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

waves  tended  to  raise  the  level  near  the  craters, 
and  sink  lower  and  lower  toward  the  west. 

The  whole  country  is  also  overlaid  with  vol¬ 
canic  stones,  either  thrown  from  the  craters,  or 
caused  by  the  disintegration  of  the  surface  lay¬ 
ers.  This  basaltic  rock,  as  it  crumbles,  forms  an 
excellent  soil,  which  produces  an  abundance  of 
grass  in  the  springtime.  Then  the  whole  of  the 
Jaulan  is  overspread  with  grass  so  deep  and 
thick,  that  all  paths  are  obscured,  and  a  rider 
finds  difficulty  in  making  his  way  through  the 
resisting  undergrowth. 

Then  the  flocks  and  herds  are  as  plentiful  as 
the  pasturage.  They  are  brought  from  long  dis¬ 
tances  to  this  famous  pasture  land.  The  ancient 
'‘bulls  of  Bashan*'^  must  have  fed  there;  also, 
“rams  of  the  breed  of  Bashan”*  could  have 
found  no  better  pasture.  Ezekiel  speaks  “of 
rams,  of  lambs,  and  of  goats,  of  bullocks,  all  of 
them  fatlings  of  Bashan.”®  The  Jaulan  is  pre¬ 
eminently  the  grazing  district  of  the  East-Jordan 
country,  and  in  spring  is  a  magnet  to  attract 
every  possible  Bedawy.  But  during  the  rest  of 
the  year  it  becomes  as  vacant  as  a  seaside  hotel 
in  winter. 

The  Hauran  produces  grain  and  insurrections. 

1  Psalm  xxii.  12.  *  Deut.  xxxii.  14.  » Ezek.  xxxix.  18. 

54 


Geographical 

The  natural  fertility  of  the  soil  accounts  for  the 
former,  while  the  latter  may  be  briefly  accredited 
to  the  independent  character  of  the  Druze  popu¬ 
lation  and  the  overreaching,  exasperating  policy 
of  the  Turkish  government,  especially  in  regard 
to  taxes.  Fully  one-half  of  the  harvest  goes  to 
the  officials. 

The  eastern  part  of  the  Hauran,  where  it  rises 
up  into  the  lofty  range  of  the  Druze  mountains, 
is  a  capital  refuge  for  offenders  against  the  law. 
The  name  of  the  mountains  indicates  the  class  of 
inhabitants.  The  Druzes  love  to  fight,  and  until 
very  recently  were  masters  of  the  situation  in  east¬ 
ern  Hauran.  Their  warlike  propensities  have  kept 
the  district  in  a  state  of  unrest,  not  conducive  to 
the  safety  of  travellers.  The  Hauran  has  been 
the  Mecca  of  many  a  traveller,  who  could  not 
obtain  permission  to  enter  the  district,  fast 
barred  against  the  intrusion  of  foreigners.  Even 
so  useful  a  servant  as  the  railroad  must  run  along 
the  very  western  borders  of  the  territory. 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  the  soil  is  produc¬ 
tive.  The  Hauran  is  the  granary  of  Syria.  Its 
wide  stretches  in  harvest  time  are  beautiful  with 
waving  grain,  and  when  one  sees  the  train  creep¬ 
ing  over  the  plain,  he  might  imagine  himself  in 

Kansas.  This  railroad  is  a  recent  innovation,  a 

66 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

branch  of  the  Beirut-Damascus  railroad,  and  runs 
south  from  the  latter  city  toward  the  southern 
wilderness. 

The  Hauran  is  one  of  the  few  districts  in  Syria, 
whose  chief  crop  is  /zo/ stones.  Elsewhere  in  this 
country  the  fences  are  made  of  stones  to  dispose 
of  the  stories.  The  current  story  has  it  that  some 
Titanic  member  of  the  clan  of  the  Genii  was  or¬ 
dered  to  distribute  the  stone  supply  over  the 
world.  He  put  them  into  two  huge  bags  and 
started  on  his  rounds.  After  he  had  disposed  of 
one  bagful,  which  he  had  scattered  sparingly 
over  Europe  and  Africa,  he  came  to  Syria.  Here 
an  accident  occurred.  He  stumbled  and  fell,  the 
bag  broke,  and  all  the  stones  destined  for  Asia 
were  deposited  in  Syria. 

The  wide  plain  of  the  Hauran,  however,  is  a 
great  green  lake  of  fertility  bounded  by  rocky 
shores.  Its  abundant  crops  find  their  way  to 
the  coast  both  by  train  and  by^camel.  The 
completion  of  the  projected  Haifa-Damascus  rail¬ 
way  will  mark  a  new  era  in  the  Hauran  trade, 
and  the  slow,  patient  camel,  will  be  largely  rele¬ 
gated  to  his  native  desert. 

'Ajlun,  the  third  great  division  of  the  East-Jor- 
dan  country,  has  its  own  characteristics,  which 
thoroughly  distinguish  it  from  the  northern  dis- 

56 


Geographical 

tricts.  It  is  vertical,  while  the  others  are  hor- 
i:(ontaL  It  is  all  mountain-sides.  Valleys 
abound.  ’Ajlun  is  the  “forest  belt"  of  Syria. 
Its  hills  are  clad  in  verdure.  Dense  oak  forests 
abound,  and  furnish  the  material  for  large  quan¬ 
tities  of  charcoal,  which  is  prepared  and  shipped 
to  Damascus  and  the  seacoast.  Under  foot,  too, 
there  is  a  change.  Limestone  has  replaced  the 
grimy,  forbidding  basalt  of  the  lava  regions. 
Fountains  also  add  their  charms  to  the  pleasing 
prospect. 

This  rugged,  mountainous  section  of  the 
Promised  Land  was  given  to  Machir,  “the  first¬ 
born  of  Manasseh,  the  father  of  Gilead:  because 
he  was  a  man  of  war,  therefore  he  had  Gilead 
and  Bashan."^  Perhaps  the  mind  reverts  to  the 
“balm  of  Gilead"^  and  to  thoughts  of  a 
soothing,  peaceful  nature  in  connection  with 
Gilead.  But  this  is  far  from  the  reality.  It  has 
always  been  the  border-land  between  civilization 
and  the  desert,  and  its  Bible  heroes  were  men  of 
war  and  valorous  deeds. 

Taking,  then,  the  kingdom  of  Og  as  a  whole, 
it  certainly  presents  a  surprising  variety  of  geo¬ 
graphical  features.  The  traveller  in  a  week’s 
time  may  traverse  weary  stretches  of  treeless 

*  Joshua  xvii.  I.  *  Jer.  viii.  22. 


67 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

plateau,  covered  with  boulders  and  stones ;  may 
hurry  over  excellent  roads  in  a  boundless  farming 
country;  and  may  lose  himself  in  tangled  valleys 
and  river  bottoms,  or  on  mountain-sides  nearly 
impassable  for  the  abundance  of  oaks  and  shrub¬ 
bery.  In  the  north  black  basalt  rules;  not  a  tree, 
not  even  a  shrub  relieves  the  sombre  sameness. 
The  south  country  is  underlaid  with  white  lime¬ 
stone,  many  streams  are  found,  and  the  hills  are 
green  with  forests.  Picturesque  villages  and 
hamlets  are  sprinkled  plentifully  over  the  district; 
while  the  Jaulan  can  boast  hardly  a  one  worthy 
of  the  name.  Indeed,  the  trip  of  the  three  ven¬ 
turesome  tourists  might  be  tersely  characterized 
as  one  of  extreme  contrasts. 

And  now,  having  arranged  all  preliminaries, 
the  travels  in  that  untried  country  may  begin, 
with  a  note  or  two  by  the  wayside,  as  the  ani¬ 
mals  jog  along. 

tSA  Ate 

^p 

A  brief  itinerary  is  hereby  subjoined,  following 
the  custom  of  all  travellers,  from  the  children  of 
Israel  ^  down  to  the  latest  explorer,  whoever  he 
may  be.  Itineraries  in  this  country  are  generally 
made  out,  not  in  miles,  but  in  hours.  The  East- 
Jordan  Arab,  however,  who  may  never  have 

>Num.  xxxiii,  34-42. 

68 


i 


f 


I 


* 


s 

V 


*r 


/■ 


-9:7 


•'\ 

1 


/ 


u 


•I 


f 


Geographical 

seen  a  watch,  is  quite  likely  to  measure  the 
stages  of  his  journey  by  the  number  of  cigarettes 
that  he  smokes  between  stops.  The  following  is 
given  in  hours,  as  being  more  exact  and  less  ex¬ 
pensive  than  the  cigarette  method. 


DAY 

FROM 

TO 

DISTRICT 

HOURS  DIRECTION 

Mon. 

Ain  Kunyeh 

Ameer’s  camp  Jaulan 

S.  E.  by  S. 

Ameer’s  camp 

Enjasa 

44 

3 

•4  44 

Tues. 

Enjasa 

Sahem  ej  Jaulan  “  and  Hauran 

6 

44  44 

Wed. 

Sahem  ej  JaulanJillen 

Hauran 

a 

S.  E. 

41 

Jillen 

Ain  Harteh 

’Ajlun 

534  S.  W.  by  W. 

Thurs.  Ain  Harteh 

Gadara 

44 

5 

W. 

Fri. 

Gadara 

Tiberias 

’Ajlun  and  Galilee 

4% 

N.  W. 

Mon. 

Tiberias 

Pella 

Galilee  and  ’Ajlun 

734  S.  E.  by  S. 

Tues. 

Pella 

’Ajlun 

’Ajlun 

634 

S.  E. 

Wed. 

’AjlQn 

Castle  Rubud 

M 

iVa, 

W. 

u 

44 

Jerash 

41 

S.  E.  by  E. 

Fri. 

Jerash 

Ghor  of  Jordan 

44 

lo 

N.  W.  by  W. 

Sat. 

Ghor  of  Jordan  Beisan 

”  and  Galilee 

5% 

N.  W.  by  N. 

Mon. 

Beisan 

Tiberias 

Galilee 

634 

N. 

VI 


A  BEDAWY  PRINCE  AT  HOME 

At  eight  o'clock  on  Monday  morning  the  three 
travellers  left  Ain  Kunyeh,  with  backs  turned 
upon  old  associations,  and  faces  toward  the 
untried  south  country.  A  ride  of  ten  minutes 
brought  them  to  the  base  of  a  steep  and  lofty 
acclivity.  They  mounted  to  the  top,  and  saw 
before  them  the  far-reaching,  stony  plateau  of 
the  Jaulan.  The  journey  had  begun  in  earnest, 
expectation  reigned. 

The  Jaulan  is  the  Bedawy’s  paradise.  In  the 
springtime  the  luxuriant  growth  of  grass  supplies 
the  needs  of  his  flocks  and  herds  without  ex¬ 
penditure  of  energy  on  his  part,  and  in  the  sum¬ 
mer  and  fall  the  abundant  crop  of  stones  by  its 
very  inertness  is  admirably  adapted  to  his  idler 
moods.  The  true  Bedawy  is  Passed  Master  in  the 
art  of  ‘‘  How  Not  to  Do  It.” 

The  northwestern  district  of  the  Jaulan  is  occu¬ 
pied  by  a  wealthy  and  influential  tribe  of  Arabs, 
who  have  so  far  abandoned  their  nomadic  life  as 

to  remain  in  a  comparatively  contracted  area. 

60 


A  Bedawy  Prince  at  Home 

They  have  even  built  rough  huts,  by  piling  up  large 
stones  into  walls,  and  covering  them  over  with 
beams  and  branches  and  earth  for  a  roof.  These 
rude  structures  thus  serve  as  a  refuge  during  the 
coldest  part  of  winter.  But  in  the  fall  these 
deserted  villages"  look  dreary  enough  and 
thoroughly  uninviting. 

The  chief  of  this  tribe  is  the  Ameer  Muhammed 
Fa'our,  a  real  Arab  prince  of  the  blood  and  a  direct 
descendant  from  the  prophet,  doubtless  as  proud 
of  his  lineage  as  any  European  potentate.  This 
ruler  is  not  a  man  to  be  despised.  Though  he  is 
an  absolute  monarch  in  his  tribe  and  his  word  is 
law,  still  he  is  wise  and  progressive.  He  even 
desires  to  introduce  a  touch  of  civilization  into 
the  tribal  life.  A  substantial,  comfortable  stone 
house  for  his  own  occupation  is  among  the  possi¬ 
bilities  of  the  near  future.  An  endeavor  was 
made  to  cultivate  vines,  and  might  have  suc¬ 
ceeded,  but  for  the  innate  la:{iness  of  his  people, — 
it  involved  too  much  work  and  protracted  atten¬ 
tion.  Several  children  from  the  tribe  have  been 
in  yearly  attendance  at  the  Protestant  schools  in 
Judeideh.  But  this  laudable  effort  at  advancement 
was  recently  frustrated  by  a  governmental  order 
prohibiting  the  return  of  the  children  to  school. 

The  wife  of  the  Ameer  has  made  two  or  more 

61 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

trips  to  Sidon  to  consult  the  lady  physician  of  the 
American  Mission  resident  there.  An  excursion 
to  Beirut  was  made  with  her,  much  to  the  amaze¬ 
ment  of  the  Ameery,  who  was  entirely  unaccus¬ 
tomed  to  the  sights  and  sounds  of  the  Syrian 
metropolis.  Yet  she  deported  herself  most  ad¬ 
mirably, — far  more  circumspectly  than  many  a 
country  bumpkin,  who  strolls  about  *‘t-a-own" 
in  open-mouthed  wonder.  This  lady  is  young 
and  attractive, — the  second  wife  of  the  Ameer. 
During  her  visits  to  Sidon  she  was  entertained  at 
the  house  of  a  strict  Moslem,  a  friend  of  the  Arab 
prince.  As  a  mark  of  courtesy  two  of  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  called  one  evening  at  the  house.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  custom  they  had  sent  word  in  ad¬ 
vance,  in  order  to  give  opportunity  for  prepara¬ 
tion.  They  had  expected  to  meet  only  the  friend 
and  leave  with  him  their  regards  to  the  Ameer 
(not  to  his  wife).  What,  then,  was  their  sur¬ 
prise,  upon  entering  the  parlor,  to  find  the 
Ameery  also  sitting  there  unveiled,  and  not  at  all 
backward  in  entering  into  the  conversation  ! 
Manifestly  she  did  not  propose  to  be  classed  with 
the  common  Moslem  women,  who  have  no 
standing  and  no  liberty. 

It  was  the  good  fortune  of  the  touring  trio  to 

visit  the  far-away  home  of  this  Arab  princess. 

63 


A  Bedawy  Prince  at  Home 

A  ride  of  about  two  hours  brought  them  to  the 
large  encampment  of  the  Ameer.  There,  amongst 
the  blackish  rocks  and  boulders,  were  pitched 
dozens  of  long,  low,  black  tents,  almost  indis¬ 
tinguishable  from  the  sombre  soil.  Here  were 
the  black  ‘Hents  of  Kedar,”  mentioned  in  the 
Song  of  Songs. ^ 

The  dwelling  of  the  Ameer  was  easily  dis¬ 
cernible  among  the  other  tents,  not  by  reason  of 
shape  or  kind,  but  merely  by  its  si:{e.  Imagine  a 
great  stretch  of  gable  roof,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  long,  its  ridge  pole  (minus  the  pole)  fifteen 
feet  above  the  ground,  and  the  sides  of  the  tent 
high  enough  to  admit  a  person  with  ease. 
This  great  expanse  of  black,  thick  cloth  is  upheld 
by  solid  wooden  pillars,  and  the  edges  are 
stretched  out  by  heavy  ropes  drawn  taut.  This 
long,  cloth-covered  structure  is  divided  into  sev¬ 
eral  apartments  by  means  of  large  straw  mats 
stretched  transversely  across  the  tent  at  con¬ 
venient  intervals.  Here  lives  the  prince  of  the 
tribe  of  Fudl,  with  his  wife,  his  grown-up  sons 
by  a  former  wife,  his  retinue  of  servants  and 
slaves,  and  his  horses — precious  property.  Here 
is  the  centre  of  justice,  judgment  and  punishment 
for  all  members  of  his  tribe. 

1  Song  of  Sol.  i.  5. 

63 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

As  the  tourists  approached  the  tent,  they  were 
aware  of  animated  preparations  to  receive  them. 
The  great  parlor  ”  must  be  put  into  readiness  for 
the’  reception  of  guests  with  helmet  hats  !  The 
mats  and  rugs  were  all  removed  and,  thoroughly 
beaten,  then  disposed  about  the  .sides  of  the 
apartment.  Soft  divans,  or  mattresses,  were  laid 
upon  the  mats  in  regular  order,  and  these  in  turn 
augmented  by  numerous  cushions  and  pillows. 
Having  removed  their  shoes,  the  guests  were  con¬ 
ducted  to  the  place  of  honor  opposite  the  en¬ 
trance, — the  “good  place'’  of  Bible  times.^ 

The  prince,  unfortunately,  was  absent;  but 
his  son  was  ready  to  act  the  part  of  host.  And 
right  royally  he  did  so.  He  added  the  finishing 
touches  to  the  preparations,  as  much  as  to  inti¬ 
mate  that  it  was  a  mere  fortuitous  circumstance 
whereby  he  had  not  done  it  all.  He  conducted 
the  visitors  to  their  place,  and  then  retired  in  true 
Oriental  self-depreciation  to  a  seat  upon  the 
ground  near  the  doorway, — the  “lowest  room.” 
After  urgent  and  repeated  invitation,  he  finally 
consented  (with  due  show  of  reluctance)  to  take 
a  seat  next  to  the  guests  upon  the  divan.  There 
the  battle  was  renewed  to  have  him  sit  comfort- 
ably,  that  is,  cross-legged, — anything  but  com- 

*  James  ii.  3. 

64 


A  Bedawy  Prince  at  Home 

fortable  to  the  neophyte.  It  is  the  height  of 
politeness  for  the  host  and  his  retainers  to  sit  in 
a  kneeling  position,  until  ashed  to  change  their 
posture.  This  they  do  by  degrees,  and  the  polite 
visitor  is  expected  to  persist  in  his  request,  until 
he  actually  has  his  host  beside  him  with  his  feet 
tucked  up  under  him. 

The  young  prince  was  exceedingly  courteous, 
though  very'  reserved.  It  happened  that  some  of 
the  “notables”  of  the  tribe  were  present,  and  as 
they  sat  around  and  eyed  the  strangers  from  head 
to  foot,  not  forgetting  to  scrutinize  the  guns,  one 
had  a  most  uncanny,  creepy  feeling.  They  were 
willing  to  converse  about  plans  and  routes  and 
the  “  European  concert  ”  (badly  out  of  tune  at 
the  time),  but  any  matter  connected  with  the 
tribe  was  dealt  with  most  circumspectly.  The 
number  of  the  tents,  or  of  the  men  of  the  tribe 
(women  are  not  counted),  or  the  size  of  the 
flocks  and  herds,  could  not  be  ascertained  from 
them.  They  fear  the  tax  collector,  as  westerners 
dread  the  smallpox.  They  purchase  exemption 
from  military  duty  and  then  evade  the  tax  as  far 
as  possible.  Since  raiding  is  a  part  of  their  busi¬ 
ness,  they  live  in  expectation  of  detection  and 
punishment.  But  woe  to  the  man  of  the  tribe 

who  blunders  in  the  act  of  stealing  and  carries  off 

65 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

any  of  the  prince's  cattle  or  sheep  1  Recently 
some  cattle,  belonging  to  the  Ameer,  were  stolen. 
The  son  of  the  Ameer,  the  y^ung  man  who  so 
graciously  entertained  the  visitors,  vowed  to  cut 
off  the  right  hand  of  the  culprit,  if  he  should  be 
found.  And  he  fulfilled  his  threat  later,  although 
the  thief  was  one  of  the  tribe.  The  Ameer’s  cat¬ 
tle  will  doubtless  be  safe  hereafter  I 
Since  cattle-raising  is  one  of  the  chief  occupa¬ 
tions  of  the  Arabs,  they  ^conveniently  adapt 
their  mode  of  life  to  the  exigencies  of  the  case. 
The  whole  camp  consists  of  what  Wemmick,  Pip’s 
friend,  would  delight  to  call  ‘'portable  property." 
The  infants,  too,  are  included  under  this  designa¬ 
tion.  They  are  disposed  of  by  being  tightly 
wrapped  in  “  swaddling  clothes  ”  and  then  slung 
over  the  mother’s  back,  thereto  remain  for  hours, 
as  the  caravan  moves  along  under  the  broiling 
sun.  The  horses,  however,  form  the  chief  treas¬ 
ure  of  the  Bedawin.  Here  are  some  of  the  pure 
Arab  steeds,  renowned  in  verse  and  story.  Fleet 
and  sure-footed,  they  carry  their  owners  over 
rough  fields  filled  with  rocks  and  stones,  where 
an  American  horse  would  not  venture.  These 
animals  are  often  the  property  of  more  than  one 
man,  and  are  owned,  like  everything  else  in  this 

queer  country,  in  shares  of  twenty-fourths.  Think 

66 


A  Bedawy  Prince  at  Home 

of  the  mental  acumen  required  to  compute  the 
value  of  seven  twenty-fourths  of  a  horse  1 

Yet  this  is  no  stranger  than  many  other  customs. 
For  example,  counting  is  always  done  hy  pairs. 
The  shepherd  counts  his  sheep  thus.  When  the 
maid  counts  the  loaves  of  native  bread,  the  result 
is  announced  as  so  many  pairs  and  a  single  one 
(if  one  is  left  over).  Even  gold  pieces  are  thus 
counted!  The  Arabic  is  read  and  written  from 
right  to  left ;  a  line  of  manuscript  is  even  at  the 
top,  and  hence  words  and  phrases  are  u^EKscored 
above.  Twelve  o’clock  is  at  sunset ;  5  is  o,  and 
o  is  a  period.  Sun  ”  is  feminine,  “  moon  ”  mas¬ 
culine  ;  the  orator  begins,  “Gentlemen  and 
ladies.”  Locks  are  generally  upside  down  ;  the 
hands  are  washed  after  eating  ;  the  carpenter 
saws  away  from  the  body  ;  in  building  a 
fire  the  twigs  and  chips  are  placed  on  top  of  the 
charcoal ;  in  hot  weather  the  head  is  wrapped  in 
a  shawl  ;  the  father  is  known  by  the  name  of  his 
eldest  son. 

The  Arab  tribes  are  Moslem,  though  they  are 

not  so  strict  as  their  city  co-religionists.  Perhaps 

they  pray,  but  certainly  not  so  regularly  as  the 

Koran  prescribes.  Nor  does  their  religion  in  the 

least  interfere  with  business.  A  horse  “deal” 

the  world  over  carries  with  it  the  aroma  of  dis- 

67 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

honesty.  Even  the  Arab  hospitality  is  in  some 
points  subject  to  criticism.  To  use  a  figure  of 
civilized  speech,  it  might  be  termed  “silver 
plated."  For  when  a  feast  is  prepared,  the  great 
heap  of  food  is  so  arranged,  that  the  first  to  be 
served  eat  from  the  outside  of  the  small  mountain 
of  rice,  and  when  they  have  finished,  lo,  the  rice 
has  disappeared,  and  under  it  is  a  mass  of  boiled 
wheat,  the  common  food  of  the  peasantry  ! 

Their  coffee,  however,  is  the  genuine  article, — 
no  chicory  berry  in  it, — pure  Mocha,  prepared  in 
the  presence  of  the  guests,  from  the  first  process 
of  browning  it.  This  is  done  by  placing  a  hand¬ 
ful  of  the  green  coffee  in  an  immense  iron  spoon 
with  long  handle,  and  holding  it  over  the  glow¬ 
ing  coals.  Next  it  is  pounded  in  a  wooden  mor¬ 
tar  with  a  wooden  pestle  to  a  rythmical  cadence 
not  unpleasant  in  its  variations,  which  is  produced 
by  certain  dextrous  taps  upon  the  side  of  the 
mortar,  as  the  pestle  is  withdrawn  to  be  poised 
in  the  air  for  another  descent  upon  the  amber, 
redolent  berries.  After  it  has  been  transferred  to 
a  curious  long-handled,  long-nosed,  brazen  coffee¬ 
pot,  it  boils  briskly  for  a  time,  and  then  a  sip  of 
the  dark  fluid  is  poured  into  dainty  cups  and 
these  presented  to  the  guests.  The  host  also 

partakes,  as  a  token  of  benevolent  intentions,  or, 

68 


A  Bedawy  Prince  at  Home 

at  least  negatively,  to  prove  the  absence  of  poison 
in  the  drinkd  After  this  preliminary  trial,  the 
cups  are  later  filled  with  the  dark,  bitter  coffee, 
and  the  guest  is  expected  to  drink  it  all. 

He  who  drinks  coffee,  or  a  cup  of  milk, 
or  eats  a  morsel  at  the  tent  of  the  sheikh,  is 
thereupon  under  his  protection;  nor  is  it  etiquette 
to  ask  as  to  the  business  or  objective  point  of 
the  wayfarer,  until  after  the  lapse  of  three  days. 
During  that  time  he  may  eat  and  sleep  as  freely 
as  if  he  were  in  his  native  village,  and  no  ques¬ 
tions  asked.  That  is  Arab  hospitality,  in  a  land 
where  the  screech  of  the  lightning  express  is 
unheard  and  unknown,  and  the  voice  of  the 
hotel  runner  is  still.  Oriental  hospitality  requires 
time  and  patience,  two  commodities  abundantly 
bestowed  upon  the  easy-going  Arabs. 

The  travellers  were  not  privileged  to  test  these 
virtues  to  their  full  extent,  because  the  itinerary 
included  but  an  hour’s  stop  at  the  encampment. 
However,  an  hour  was  quite  sufficient  to  afford 
a  view  of  Arab  tent  life.  True,  a  poetic  glamour 
overspreads  this  mode  of  existence.  Novelists 

1  As  corroborative  evidence  it  has  been  noticed  that  the 
servant  in  receiving  back  the  cup  from  the  guest  quickly  places 
his  hand  over  it  with  averted  face,  that  he  may  not  see  whether 
any  of  the  guests  have  suspiciously  refrained  from  tasting  the 
coffee. 


69 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

and  poets  have  vied  with  one  another  in  invest¬ 
ing  these  black  tents  and  their  swarthy  occupants 
with  the  romance  of  idealism.  But  the  fact 
remains  that  the  tents  are  hot  in  summer,  cold  in 
winter,  wet  in  rainy  weather,  uninviting  at  their 
best.  The  possibilities  in  the  culinary  depart¬ 
ment  are  meagre  in  the  extreme,  with  no  further 
variety  than  what  rice,  wheat  and  milk  can 
afford.  In  the  matter  of  dress  they  practice  the 
extreme  of  simplicity,  both  in  quantity,  quality 
and  style.  Feminine  rivalries  in  this  direction 
are  unknown.  -  The  only  indulgence  in  ornamen¬ 
tation  is  in  tatooing  and  in  the  use  of  blue-glass 
nose-jewels  much  in  vogue. 

The  sameness  of  their  life  would  be  appalling 
to  a  nervous  westerner.  No  perceptible  business, 
no  newspapers,  no  social  functions,  no  literary 
and  musical  clubs,  no  market  reports,  no  football 
games,  no  elections!  In  such  circumstances  a 
little  guerilla  warfare  would  be  welcome  and  a 
funeral  would  be  a  boon.  Indeed,  the  latter  is 
highly  prized  by  townspeople  as  a  choice  occasion 
for  social  intercourse.  One  woman  was  heard  to 
remark  enthusiastically,  after  attending  a  funeral, 
"‘I  enjoyed  it  very  much!  " 

The  three  tourists  left  the  encampment  of  the 

noble  Arab  el  Fudl,  in  nowise  inclined  to  prolong 

70 


A  Bedawy  Prince  at  Home 

their  visit,  yet  thankful  for  this  opportunity  to 
see  an  Arab  prince  and  his  home.  They  moved 
on  for  three  hours  more,  the  stony  monotony  of 
their  road  relieved  only  by  an  occasional  fox¬ 
hunt  (the  real  article  without  anise  seed).  They 
passed  several  of  the  isolated  crater-cones, 
lunched  in  the  open,  with  but  a  sip  of  warm 
water  from  the  ever-ready  pottery  jug,  and 
finally,  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  reached 
their  first  camping-place  in  the  Jaulan,  in  the 
unpeopled  wilderness.  There  they  had  ample 
opportunity  to  write,  to  discuss  plans  for  the 
untried  road  before  them,  and  surrender  them¬ 
selves  to  the  abandon  of  unshackled  freedom. 
Even  the  cook  felt  the  influence.  For  he  served 
floating  island”  as  the  first  course,  and  fol¬ 
lowed  it  up  with  potatoes,  Irish  stew  and  the  like. 

Then  followed  the  calm,  restful  quiet  of  a 
moonlight  night. 

How  beautiful  is  night ! 

A  dewy  freshness  fills  the  silent  air ; 

No  mist  obscures,  no  cloud,  nor  speck,  nor  stain, 

Breaks  the  serene  of  heaven. 

In  full-orb’d  glory  yonder  moon  divine 
Rolls  through  the  dark-blue  depths  ; 

Beneath  her  steady  ray 
The  desert  circle  spreads. 

Like  the  round  ocean,  girdled  with  the  sky; 

How  beautiful  is  night  I  " — Southey. 

71 


VII 


GOLAN,  THE  CITY  OF  REFUGE 

Desolation  is  mildly  expressive  of  the  Jaulan 
in  the  autumn  time.  Two  days  of  travel  over 
its  level,  rocky  surface  from  its  northwestern  to 
its  southeastern  corner  revealed  nothing  but 
stones,  ruins,  graves  and  squalid  indolence.  The 
only  exceptions  to  this  monotony  were  due  to 
outside  influence. 

The  first  was  a  thriving  Circassian  village 
nestling  on  the  side  of  a  low  hill,  about  a  half 
hour  off  from  the  camping-place.  Its  well-built 
houses,  its  numerous  haystacks,  and  its  glisten¬ 
ing  mosque  dome  revealed  an  industry  of  per¬ 
severance  noticeably  out  of  harmony  with  their 
surroundings.  These  Circassians  came  into  the 
country  in  the  year  1878  as  a  sort  of  political 
exiles,  and  wherever  they  have  settled,  they 
have  made  the  desert  to  blossom  as  the  rose.” 
Their  villages,  to  the  number  of  a  dozen  or 
more,  dot  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Jaulan,  and  by 
sheer  force  of  industry  and  will  they  have  estab¬ 
lished  themselves  in  the  face  of  exasperating 

72 


Golan,  the  City  of  Refuge 

annoyances  from  their  Bedawin  neighbors.  They 
are  honest  in  the  midst  of  rank  dishonesty;  and 
they  follow  Paul’s  injunction,  “If  it  be  possible, 
as  much  as  lieth  in  you,  live  peaceably  with  all 
men.” 

The  Jews  have  introduced  the  second  novelty 
into  those  dreary  stretches  of  Arab-Iand  in  the 
form  of  a  carriage  road,  which  runs  from  a  point 
near  the  waters  of  Merom,  past  Golan,  to  Mez- 
areb,  the  present  terminus  of  the  Damascus- 
Hauran  railroad.  Now  this  is  not  a  macadam¬ 
ized  road,  with  fences  and  shade  trees  on  either 
side.  It  is  nothing  more  than  an  honest  attempt 
to  clear  a  wide  path  amongst  the  loose  surface 
stones,  and  construct  a  few  simple  passageways 
in  places,  to  avoid  the  mud  of  springtime. 

Yet  this  modest  attempt  at  improvement 
awakes  no  slum.bering  ambition  in  the  Bedawy. 
On  the  contrary,  he  reads  in  this  the  signs  of 
encroaching  civilization  and  resents  it  with  all 
his  might.  He  has  tried  to  undo  what  the  jew 
has  done,  by  rolling  back  the  large  stones  into 
the  middle  of  the  road,  and  thus  impede  the 
progress  of  any  hypothetical  vehicle  unfortunate 
enough  to  attempt  the  journey. 

This  road,  however,  was  hailed  with  joy  by 

the  three  travellers,  who  had  wearied  of  jogging 

73 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

over  the  stony  plain,  ever  on  the  alert  lest  a 
horse  should  stumble  and  fall.  That  was  a  long, 
thirsty  ride, — six  hours  under  a  relentless  sun, 
over  a  tract  absolutely  shadeless. 

«  And  on  the  traveller’s  listless  way  ; 

Rises  and  sets  th’  unchanging  day, 

No  cloud  in  heaven  to  slake  its  ray, 

On  earth  no  shelt’ring  bower.” 

Only  two  trees  were  sighted  during  the  day,  and 
they  were  far  away. 

Thanks  to  the  old  Romans,  one  of  their  sub¬ 
stantial  bridges,  provided  a  cool,  shady  retreat, 
where  lunch  was  discussed.  The  arches  of  that 
bridge  still  rise  in  refreshing  memory.  Eight 
solidly-built,  pointed  arches  unite  to  form  a 
bridge  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  and 
fifteen  feet  broad,  spanning  the  Rukkad  river, 
which  is  gentle  enough  in  the  fall,  but  evidently 
capable  of  manifesting  in  winter  great  obstruc¬ 
tive  ability.  The  old  bridge  has  withstood  nobly 
the  ravages  of  time.  Its  interstices  are  filled  with 
excellent  lime  mortar,  and  at  comparatively  small 
expense  it  might  be  repaired.  Then  the  roving 
inhabitants  would  not  need  to  camp  beside  the 
swollen  stream,  awaiting  sometimes  for  days 
and  weeks  the  abating  of  the  waters,  that  they 

may  cross.  However,  they  have  nothing  else  to 

74 


Golan,  the  City  of  Refuge 

do,  and  their  domestic  economy  suffers  no  jar 
by  encamping  here  or  there. 

This  noble  bridge  stands  as  an  almost  im¬ 
perishable  monument  to  the  sovereignty  of  the 
ancient  Romans,  in  this  land.  That  they  were 
preceded,  however,  by  a  civilization  far  more 
ancient  than  theirs,  is  evidenced  by  the  large 
number  of  dolmens  scattered  all  about  the  dis¬ 
trict  in  the  vicinity  of  the  bridge.  These  are 
remarkable  piles  of  stone,  called  to  this  day 
'‘graves  of  the  children  of  Israel,"  and  were 
manifestly  used  at  one  time  for  sepulture.  They 
consist  of  a  circular  platform  of  stones,  upon 
which  a  rude  tomb  was  erected,  made  of  slabs 
of  stone  set  on  edge,  and  covered  over  by  one 
or  two  enormous  pieces.  These  tombs  all  have 
an  east  and  west  trend,  are  from  two  to  three 
yards  in  length,  about  half  as  wide,  and  propor¬ 
tionately  high.  These  huge  monuments  of  a 
hoary  antiquity  may  be  counted  by  the  hundred, 
nor  may  it  ever  be  known  who  erected  them  and 
who  found  a  last  resting-place  therein.  Perhaps 
the  giants  of  Bashan  were  buried  in  them, — those 
doughty  warriors  of  Og’s  time.  Then  the  land 
was  densely  inhabited.  We  read  in  the  book  of 
Joshua^  of  sixty  cities,  and  in  Deuteronomy^  that 

2  Deut.  iii.  5. 

75 


>  Joshua  xiii.  30. 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

*'all  these  cities  were  fenced  with  high  walls, 
gates,  and  bars;  beside  un walled  towns  a  great 
many.”  By  this  may  be  understood  sixty  centres 
of  population,  together  with  the  outlying  vil¬ 
lages.  Where  could  be  found  now  sixty  towns 
worthy  of  a  name  and  record?  Those  tombs 
are  of  a  truth  evidences  of  a  bygone  civilization, 
— a  memorial  of  buried  greatness. 

Suppose,  now,  that  the  scroll  of  the  ages  might 
be  rolled  back  to  the  time  of  Joshua  and  his  suc¬ 
cessors.  How  different  would  be  the  landscape! 
Instead  of  stanes  would  appear  grain  and  vines 
and  trees.  Cities  and  towns  and  villages  would 
be  spread  over  the  plain,  joined  to  each  other  by 
a  network  of  roads.  The  Jew  would  be  there, 
but  not  by  the  gracious  permission  of  his  maj¬ 
esty,  the  Sultan ; — rather  by  right  of  victory  and 
conquest.  Farmers,  merchants,  warriors,  law¬ 
givers,  all  would  unite  to  improve^  the  land  and 
transform  it  into  the  Holy  Land  of  Promise. 

And  among  other  excellent  and  pleasing  fea¬ 
tures  would  be  one  which  commends  itself  as 
furthering  the  ends  of  justice  and  protecting  its 
dignity, — namely,  the  city  of  refuge.  There 
were  six  such  cities,  three  on  the  east,  three  on 
the  west  of  Jordan.  Of  these  six,  only  two  are 

of  interest  in  the  present  discussion, — Ramoth 

76 


Golan,  the  City  of  Refuge 

Gilead  in  'Ajiun,  and  Golan  in  the  Jaulan.  They 
were  established  at  the  command  of  the  Lord, 
Ye  shall  appoint  you  cities  to  be  cities  of  ref¬ 
uge  for  you;  that  the  slayer  may  flee  thither, 
which  killeth  any  person  by  error.  And  they 
shall  be  to  you  cities  for  refuge  from  the  aven¬ 
ger;  that  the  manslayer  die  not,  until  he  stand 
before  the  congregation  in  judgment.”^ 

The  necessity  for  this  provision  of  justice  had 
its  origin  in  the  custom  of  tribal  and  family 
feuds, — avenging  of  blood, — prevalent  to  this 
very  day.  By  it,  for  every  murder  there  must  be 
a  compensating  shedding  of  blood,  and  at  the 
present  time  it  need  not  be  the  murderer  who  is 
to  be  killed  in  his  turn,  but  any  innocent  member 
of  the  tribe.  Such  justice  bears  but  slight  re¬ 
semblance  to  civilized  codes  of  law.  But  it  must 
not  be  forgotten  that  the  children  of  Israel  were 
hardly  more  than  roving  bands  in  those  days,  to 
whom  God  in  His  wisdom  adapted  such  customs 
and  laws  as  were  best  fitted  to  meet  their  needs, 
which  contained  also  the  germ  of  a  higher  and 
nobler  existence 

Golan  was  well  chosen  as  a  city  of  refuge.  It 
was  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  vast  plain,  on  rising 
ground,  which  might  even  deserve  the  name  of  hill. 

*  Num.  XXXV.  II,  12. 

77 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

[At  this  point  it  may  be  well  to  remark  that 
this  is  an  unscientific  record.  Identifications 
of  historic  spots,  and  all  differences  of  opinion  in 
regard  thereto,  are  left  for  settlement  to  abler 
minds.  Suffice  it  for  the  purposes  of  this  narra¬ 
tive  that  Golan  once  existed  somewhere  east  of 
the  Jordan,  and  in  this  near  vicinity;  and  that 
some  explorers  of  no  mean  repute  have  located 
it  at  this  very  spot.  Visitors  to  the  Holy  Land, 
who  desire  to  preserve  the  least  bit  of  sentiment, 
should  not  be  too  particular  as  to  topographical 
niceties.  In  this  instance  ‘‘the  letter  killeth.”] 

Doubtless  the  Golan  of  ancient  times  was  an 
imposing  city.  For  it  was  the  capital  of  the 
great  district  of  that  name.  It  may  well  be  im¬ 
agined  as  covering  a  large  area,  with  its  citadel 
crowning  the  hill.  Walled  round  about,  it  was 
a  strong  fortress  for  defence  and  a  welcome 
refuge  for  the  oppressed.  Perhaps  the  Bible 
dictionary  illustration  comes  to  mind.  There  is 
the  massive  wall  of  the  city,  and  the  great  gate 
opened  by  an  expectant  priest  or  Levite,  ready 
to  receive  the  fleeing  unfortunate,  who  has  un¬ 
wittingly  killed  a  fellow-man.  He  is  well-nigh 
exhausted,  but  fear  and  hope  urge  him  on. 
His  headgear  is  gone,  his  long  locks  stream  out 
behind,  on  his  countenance  are  depicted  mingled 

73 


Golan,  the  City  of  Refuge 

emotions,  and  his  eye  is  directed  toward  the 
gates.  He  has  all  but  entered.  In  one  short  mo¬ 
ment  he  will  be  safe. 

But  the  “avenger  of  blood"  is  close  behind 
him  in  hot  pursuit.  The  arrow  lies  notched  upon 
the  string;  the  bow  is  drawn.  Will  the  arrow 
find  its  mark  ere  the  gates  have  swung  to  ?  Alas, 
that  childish  query  of  long  Sabbath  afternoons 
will  never  be  answered!  The  runner  still  flees 
from  the  avenging  pursuer,  the  gates  stand  ajar, 
the  arrow  is  still  poised  in  mid-air,  all  the  possi¬ 
bilities  of  a  ruthless  tragedy  remain,— not  a  line 
of  the  picture  is  changed. 

Not  so  the  city  itself.  No  sane  man,  jew  or 
Gentile,  would  seek  refuge  in  the  dirty,  dusty, 
degraded  village  that  dishonors  the  name  of 
Golan.  Its  buildings  are  ruins;  its  well  is  pol¬ 
luted;  its  citadel  is  a  dunghill.  Far  from  being 
a  city  of  refuge,  it  has  turned  away  the  Jew,  who 
sought  an  entrance,  not  for  his  own  good  alone, 
but  to  improve  the  general  condition  as  well. 

Some  years  ago  a  colony  of  these  despised,  in¬ 
dustrious  Israelites  settled  here,  built  them  sub¬ 
stantial  tile-roofed  houses  near  the  village, 
planted  trees  of  various  kinds,  cultivated  the  land, 
laid  out  the  carriage  road,  and  might  have  restored 

to  the  place  something  of  its  ancient  prestige. 

79 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Thereupon  these  uncouth  villagers,  farmers 
only  by  necessity,  first-cousins  to  the  lawless 
Bedawin,  began  a  series  of  lying  intrigues,  which 
eventuated  in  the  driving  out  of  the  Jews.  The 
trees  were  uprooted  and  the  vines  despoiled. 
But  the  Jews  will  undoubtedly  return  some  day. 
They  are  not  to  be  dealt  with  thus  unceremo¬ 
niously.  And  the  villagers  realize  this.  They 
fear  a  return,  and  look  with  suspicion  upon  all 
strangers,  as  being  possible  agents  of  their  en¬ 
emies. 

When  the  travellers  arrived  at  Sahem  ej  Jaulan 
(the  modern  name  of  Golan),  the  tents  were  soon 
surrounded  by  a  group  of  interested  (and  inter¬ 
esting)  men,  women  and  children.  They  were 
a  sickly-looking  lot,  unwashed  and  unkempt, 
yet  suspicious  of  any  surreptitious  introduction 
of  civilization.  The  town  well  was  so  filthy  that 
even  the  mules  would  hardly  drink.  Water  for 
cooking  and  drinking  purposes  was  brought 
from  a  distance  of  half  an  hour  in  tins  that  had 
once  held  kerosene  oil. 

One  innovation  had  been  brought  into  the  town, 
— a  shop  kept  by  two  enterprising  young  men 
from  Judeideh,  one  of  them  a  former  pupil  in  the 
Boarding  Academy  at  Sidon.  It  was  evident  that 
these  young  men  enjoyed  the  visit  of  their 


Golan,  the  City  of  Refuge 

friends,  and  they  entered  most  heartily  into  the 
singing  when  prayers  were  held.  They  had  a 
varied  stock  of  goods,  and  even  furnished  two 
small  canisters  of  tea,  not  any  the  better  for  its 
long  residence  in  the  country. 

The  villagers  live  a  miserably  poor  life.  There 
are  some  patches  of  ground  called  gardens,  where 
a  little  corn  and  a  few  cucumbers  and  other  such 
vegetables  are  grown.  These,  together  with 
curds  and  cheese,  are  supposed  to  restore  the 
wasting  tissues  of  mortal  man.  Meat  is  a  luxury, 
reserved  for  feasts  and  special  occasions. 

The  mental  food  is  no  better  in  quality  and  less 
in  quantity.  Of  the  whole  district  it  may  be  said 
that  schools  are  unknown.  Education  is  at  its 
lowest  ebb.  In  regard  to  the  moral  and  spiritual 
condition  of  the  villagers  it  were  better  to  be 
silent.  True  religion  is  inward.  What  have 
they  within  their  souls  that  could  possibly  be  con¬ 
strued  as  a  hungering  and  thirsting  after  right¬ 
eousness  ? 

Far  more  suited  to  their  desires  and  capacities 

was  the  village  dance  held  that  evening.  The 

travellers  were  invited,  but  politely  declined,  as 

even  from  a  distance  both  ears  and  nostrils  were 

filled  with  the  attendant  noise  and  dust.  The 

place  chosen  was  evidently  some  open  space,  not 

8t 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

far  from  the  camp,  where  the  elite  of  the  town 
gathered  in  the  moonlight.  According  to  reports 
conveyed  early  in  the  proceeding  by  the  Judeideh 
merchants,  the  men  were  seated  in  a  large  circle 
and  giving  the  time  by  a  mingled  clapping  of  the 
hands  and  a  gutteral  grunt  as  near  hu-way-yah 
hu-way-yah”  as  can  be  expressed  in  civilized 
English. 

A  drama  was  enacted  by  various  damsels,  who 
in  turn  seized  a  sword,  entered  the  ring,  and  suc¬ 
cessfully  warded  off  the  advance  of  would-be 
suitors,  until  the  one  of  their  choice  appeared, — 
and  all  this  to  the  clapping  of  the  hands  and  the 
dull,  guttural  hu-way-yah.”  This  was  mild 
excitement,  requiring  no  exercise  of  mental 
energy,  admirably  adapted  to  the  limited  intel¬ 
lects  of  the  performers.  Hour  after  hour  they 
kept  it  up,  with  no  variation  in  the  time  or  the 
monotone,  until  one  feared  for  the  results  upon 
their  mental  furniture. 

The  tourists  had  early  sought  their  cots,  wearied 
by  a  day  of  excessive  heat  and  dust;  but  far  into 
the  night,  as  they  awoke  ever  and  anon,  came 
that  low,  droning  sound, — the  groaning  of  the 
sons  of  Golan, — ‘'hu-way-yah,  hu-way-yah.” 


83 


VIII 


MANEUVRING 

The  Hauran!  That  far-away  district,  that 
dream  of  other  days,  the  forbidden  land,  had  be¬ 
come  a  reality,  and  the  horses’  hoofs  were  mak¬ 
ing  their  impress  upon  its  rich  soil.  There  it  lay 
at  the  traveller^’  feet,  stretching  off  into  the  dis¬ 
tance,  glowing  in  the  early  morning  sunlight. 

Those  plains  could  reveal  many  a  secret  of  war 
and  bloodshed.  There  Chedorlaomer  and  the 
Rephaim  giants  met  in  deadly  conflict  at  Ashter- 
oth  Karnaim,^  which  rises  on  a  double-pointed 
hill  not  far  from  Golan,  and  is  famous  in  history 
for  a  temple  to  the  heathen  goddess  Ashtoreth, 
and  also  as  being  one  of  Og’s  royal  residences.’ 
Only  a  few  hours  away  was  Edrei,  another  of 
his  capital  cities,’  where  he  was  overwhelmingly 
defeated  at  the  hands  of  Israel.* 

Near  by  could  be  seen  El  Merkez,  the  present 
residence  of  the  governor  of  the  Hauran,  and  re¬ 
puted  to  have  been  the  home  of  the  patriarch  Job. 

*  Gen.  xiv.  5.  2  Joshua  xii.  4. 

3  Joshua  xiii,  12.  *  Deut.  iii.  1-3. 

83 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

It  is  well  that  this  venerable  individual  did  not 
live  to  come  under  the  sway  of  those  same 
Turkish  governors,  who  occupy  his  native  soil 
to-day,  else  might  his  enviable  reputation  for  pa¬ 
tience  have  been  tarnished  by  contact  with  the 
representatives  of  all  that  is  slow,  obstructive, 
and  exasperating.  Who,  more  than  the  Turkish 
government,  is  responsible  for  the  sad  retrogres¬ 
sion  in  these  districts,  both  of  inhabitants  and 
land  ?  These  governmental  leeches  have  sucked 
the  life-blood  of  the  poor  peasants,  until  there  is 
no  hope  left,  nor  any  further  reason  for  industry 
and  effort.  Improvement  is  but  an  excuse  for 
greater  excesses  of  iniquitous  misrule.  This  is 
strong  language,  but  not  more  so  than  that  used 
in  a  popular  Handbook  for  Syria  and  Palestine, 
compiled  by  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  Eng¬ 
land,  who  says : 

“Syria  has  been  oppressed  for^centuries  by 
foreign  rulers  who  show  no  real  interest  in  the 
soil  or  the  people,  and  whose  policy  is  to  keep 
the  inhabitants  bound  down  in  ignorance  and 
poverty,  all  the  available  wealth  of  the  country 
being  grasped  by  themselves.  The  present  do¬ 
minion  of  the  Turk  is  no  exception  to  this  rule; 
and  the  miserable  peasants  are  hopelessly  crushed 

under  the  threefold  oppression  of  the  govern- 

84 


Maneuvering 

ment,  the  money-lender,  and  the  tithe-gatherer. 
The  results  are  potent  to  all — indolence,  destitu¬ 
tion,  bigotry,  feuds,  and  bloodshed.  The  natural 
resources  of  Syria  are  excellent,  and  under  a  fair 
and  enlightened  government  the  country  might 
rise  again  to  prosperity.  ...  In  the  district 
bordering  on  the  east  boundaries  of  the  country 
there  are  hundreds  of  towns  and  villages  de¬ 
serted,  whilst  tens  of  thousands  of  acres  of  the 
richest  soil  are  abandoned  to  the  periodical  raids 
of  the  wild  hordes  of  the  desert.”^ 

Is  it  surprising  that  a  people,  fostered  under 
such  a  government,  should  grow  up  to  exhibit 
traits  of  dishonesty,  trickery  and  suspicion  in 
their  most  glaring  form  ?  And  is  it  any  the  more 
surprising  that  the  Turk  should  use  every  en¬ 
deavor  to  prevent  the  ingress  of  Europeans  and 
other  foreigners,  even  as  transient  travellers,  into 
those  parts,  where  injustice  and  oppression  have 
full  sway  ? 

The  trio  of  sightseers  were  not  unmindful  of 
all  these  facts,  and  for  two  days  had  watched 
with  closest  scrutiny  every  road  leading  to  gov¬ 
ernmental  centres,  lest  they  should  meet  some 
soldier  or  officer,  who  would  forthwith  report 
the  presence  of  “Franks"  in  that  forbidden  land. 

*  Murray’s  Handbook  for  Syria  and  Palestine. 

85 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Thus  far  all  had  gone  well.  Now,  however,  a 
change  was  felt.  The  people  themselves  were 
suspicious  to  an  extreme.  Mezareb,  a  telegraph 
and  railroad  station,  was  only  a  few  miles  away, 
to  approach  which  meant  certain  detection  and 
inquiry  and  orders  to  appear  at  Damascus.  The 
sheikhs  of  Sahem  ej  Jaulan  were  indebted  to  the 
government  for  assistance  rendered  in  ejecting 
the  Jews,  and  hence  would  gladly  do  a  favor  in 
return. 

What  was  the  dismay,  then,  of  the  travellers, 
as  they  left  Sahem  ej  Jaulan  by  the  eastern  road, 
and  advanced  along  the  great  plain,  to  discover 
.  in  a  backward  glance  one  of  these  very  sheikhs 
riding  up  to  them,  accompanied  by  a  soldier, 
both  mounted  on  swift  steeds!  They  were  on 
the  straight  road  to  Mezareb,  and  would  rejoice 
to  give  the  word  of  warning. 

The  tourists  had  not  intended  to  follow  the 
main  road  for  long,  but  hoped  to  strike  off  in  a 
southerly  direction,  cross  the  river,  keep  on  past 
Tell  Shehab,  and  end  their  day’s  journey  at  Irbid, 
only  one  day  distant  from  jerash. 

But  this  movement  of  the  Golan  sheikh  com¬ 
pletely  disconcerted  their  well-laid  plans.  For 
he  could  by  rapid  riding  reach  Mezareb,  and  a 

mounted  soldier  or  two  could  reach  Tell  Shehab, 

86 


Maneuvering 

ere  the  travellers  with  their  pack-animals  could 
cross  the  deep  gorge  of  the  Yarmuk  river  and  ar¬ 
rive  at  Tell  Shehab  by  a  straighter  route,  though 
far  more  difficult.  That  is,  the  sheikh  and  the 
soldiers  could  traverse  two  sides  of  a  triangle 
more  quickly  than  the  baggage-laden  party  could 
cover  the  third. 

This  sheikh  accompanied  them  for  a  half-hour 
or  more,  and  during  all  that  time  his  eyes  were 
busily  surveying  with  most  careful  scrutiny 
horses,  riders,  arms,  dogs  and  loads,  so  that  he 
could  have  given  a  minute  description  of  the 
whole  expedition.  While  he  conversed  with  the 

foreigners”  with  evident  satisfaction,  yet  his 
air  of  reserve  and  suspicion  boded  naught  but  ill 
for  the  successful  issue  of  present  plans. 

However,  when  the  guide  (an  old  man  from 
the  village  and  very  talkative)  turned  off  toward 
the  south  on  a  road  leading  to  Jillen  and  the  river, 
the  great  natural  divide,”  all  breathed  more 
easily,  and  there  was  a  perceptible  and  spontane¬ 
ous  quickening  of  the  pace,  even  to  the  smallest 
donkey. 

Arrived  at  Jillen,  a  superb  view  greeted  the 
eyes  of  the  travellers,  enough  to  dispel  all  dis¬ 
quieting  thoughts  of  government,  soldiers,  or 

discovery.  Here  was  an  exhibition  of  natural 

87 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

grandeur  not  often  seen.  It  was  the  deep  gorge 
of  the  Yarmuk  river,  which  flows  in  its  mighty 
chasm  fully  seven  hundred  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  surrounding  country.  It  is  as  if  the  earth 
had  burst  asunder  into  a  yawning  abyss,  which 
had  given  passage  to  the  rapid  stream.  The 
country  on  either  side  is  perfectly  level,  and  the 
sides  of  the  fissure  are  almost  perpendicular. 
Hence  one  might  ride  nearly  up  to  the  brink  of 
the  precipitous  gorge,  without  in  the  least  sus¬ 
pecting  its  presence. 

Far,  far  below,'  the  madly-rushing  waters  of 
the  river  fill  the  air  with  the  sound  of  their  cease¬ 
less  energy,  as  they  dash  over  rocks  and  boulders 
and  form  miniature  rapids  and  cascades,  or 
whirl  in  circling  eddies  about  some  broadened 
corner.  On  the  banks  the  vegetation  is  luxuriant 
and  vari-colored.  A  few  Bedawtn  have  selected 
the  wider  parts  to  pitch  their  temporary  camps. 
The  sides  of  the  gorge,  at  first  glance,  reveal  no 
possible  way  of  descent  from  either  side, — only 
a  network  of  goat  paths,  which  no  human  be¬ 
ing,  other  than  the  experienced  goat-herds,  could 
climb  with  safety.  Such  is  the  boundary  be¬ 
tween  the  Jaulan  and  Haur^n  on  the  one  side, 
and  ’Ajlun  on  the  other. 

The  travellers  halted  upon  the  brink  of  this 

88 


♦ 


Maneu\cring 

mighty  chasm,  this  natural  (and  geographical) 
boundary,  with  something  of  the  feelings  of  the 
children  of  Israel  at  the  shore  of  the  Red  Sea. 
To  turn  back  upon  their  tracks  meant  dis' 
appointment  and  disgrace;  to  the  left  hand  lay 
the  high  road  to  Mezareb;  the  right  hand  path 
would  lead  them  into  greater  difficulties  of 
valleys  and  impassable  chasms;  and  before  them 
this  precipitous,  pathless  gorge!  Unlike  the 
children  of  Israel  they  did  not  murmur,  but  did 
what  was  far  more  practical, — resolved  them¬ 
selves  into  a  committee  of  ways  and  means,  sent 
out  scouts  to  reconnoitre,  and  eventually  plunged 
down  the  steep  sides  over  a  path  that  zigzagged 
in  a  most  dangerous  fashion  over  slippery  rocks 
and  down  difficult  steps. 

When  they  reached  the  river  bank,  they  could 
look  back  at  their  course,  past  giant  boulders  that 
threatened  to  come  crashing  down  upon  them. 
They  made  their  way  through  thick  bushes  of 
oleanders  to  the  ford  of  the  river. 

There  a  new  difficulty  confronted  them  even 

worse  than  the  descent.  The  Israelites  were 

highly  favored  in  comparison,  because  they  went 

over  the  Red  Sea  on  dry  land.  Here,  however, 

was  a  ford  of  the  worst  possible  description. 

The  water  was  rushing  swiftly  along,  over  a 

89 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

river  bed  filled  with  large,  smooth  boulders. 
And  it  was  sufficiently  deep  to  add  to  the  diffi¬ 
culties  of  the  passage.  The  animals  could  not  be 
sure  of  a  single  step.  They  might  easily  place  a 
hoof  upon  the  top  of  a  smooth,  slippery  rock, 
and  slide  off  into  a  deep  hole  on  the  other  side 
of  it. 

At  such  a  ford  the  rider  must  make  absolute 
surrender  of  all  prospects  for  future  comfort  and 
dryness.  He  must  tuck  his  feet  up  in  a  most 
uncomfortable  and  insecure  fashion,  must  watch 
gun  and  saddle-bags  and  umbrella,  must  guide 
his  horse  up  stream,  and  keep  clear  of  the  other 
struggling  animals.  Add  to  this  the  shouting  of 
the  muleteers  and  the  assembled  Bedawin,  the 
barking  of  the  dogs,  and  the  decisive  directions 
of  the  travellers,  and  the  scene  may  be  mentally 
pictured. 

No  untoward  accidents  occurred.  One  mule 
lost  his  load,  but  after  he  had  reached  dry  (or, 
at  least,  muddy)  land.  Another  fell,  but  he,  too, 
obligingly  waited  till  he  had  crossed  the  river. 
So,  after  a  delay  of  a  half  hour,  the  caravan 
moved  on,  thankful  for  progress  made,  “  count¬ 
ing  their  mercies.” 

At  this  point  a  new  guide  was  taken  on  to  con¬ 
duct  them  up  to  the  high  level  of  the  plateau  on 

00 


JMituHAalik 


f 


Maneuvering 

the  southern  side.  It  was  a  heavy  uphill  pull, 
especially  for  the  loaded  animals.  Then  a  short 
advance  over  the  barren  plateau  brought  them  to 
a  village  on  the  direct  road  to  Tell  Sheh^b.  Here 
the  guide  from  Golan  was  dismissed,  and  a  new 
one  was  engaged,  not  to  take  them  further  south, 
which  was  the  direction  of  the  danger-zone,” 
but  to  turn  to  the  right  and  follow  the  southern 
bank  of  the  gorge  toward  the  west. 

Here  were  rapid  tactics,  well  calculated  to  dupe  ‘ 
the  governmental  envoys.  A  double  change  of 
guides  and  a  complete  “right  face”  away  from 
telegraph  and  Turkish  officials  placed  the  travellers 
out  of  all  danger  of  pursuit.  Indeed,  they  en¬ 
joyed  the  possible  predicament  of  the  Golan 
sheikh,  who  might  have  been  the  means  of  send¬ 
ing  out  soldiers  post  haste  to  Tell  Sheh^b  and  tele¬ 
graphic  messages  to  Irbid. 

They  themselves  moved  on  rapidly  along  the 
high  plateau,  delayed  in  some  places  by  mud, 
which  in  the  autumn  time  is  as  unexpected  as  it 
is  unwelcome.  This  plateau  has  the  form  of  a 
triangle,  ever  narrowing  toward  the  west, 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Yarmuk  in  its  deep 
gorge,  and  on  the  south  by  another  stream 
equally  depressed  below  the  surrounding  land. 

At  the  junction  of  these  two  rivers  the  plateau 

91 

I 

i 


-11 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

narrowed  to  a  mere  tongue  of  high  land.  On 
either  side  could  be  seen  the  two  streams  far 
below. 

The  road  led  down  by  a  rapid  descent  to  a 
point  where  a  third  stream  joined  the  two, 
making  a  labyrinth  of  valleys  and  mighty 
chasms,  which  branched  off  in  every  direction. 
Here  was  scenery  wild,  and  bold,  and  romantic. 
The  majestic  cliffs  mingled  in  perplexing  con¬ 
fusion.  To  the  east  could  be  seen  the  beautiful 
falls  of  Zeizun,  descending  in  a  series  of  cascades 
a  distance  of  nearly  eight  hundred  feet.  At  one 
point  the  river  made  a  graceful  turn,  including 
within  the  circumference  a  high  limestone  hill. 
The  whole  course  of  the  river  was  lined  on 
either  side  by  thickly-growing  oleanders  and 
other  bushes. 

This  was  an  ideal  place  for  a  camp  along  the 
broad  river-bottom,  with  choice  of  water  from 
three  streams,  and  excellent  pasturage  for  the 
animals.  But  alas,  barley  is  necessary  for  a 
hard-working  beast,  and  the  mill,  which  the 
guide  had  affirmed  to  be  a  well-stored  granary, 
was  locked  and  the  owner  absent.  Hence  this 
choice  spot  must  be  abandoned  and  the  travellers 
move  on. 

Once  more  the  deep  gorge  must  be  left  behind, 

92 


Maneuvering 

as  the  animals  mounted  up  to  the  former  level  of 
the  plain.  The  crossing  of  two  such  deep 
abysses  had  tired  the  beasts  of  burden,  and  the 
caravan  moved  on  slowly  toward  the  close  of 
day.  The  sun  went  down  upon  them  as  they 
came  opposite  Abil,  the  ancient  Abila  of  the 
Decapolis. 

A  new  difficulty  confronted  them.  The  guide 
had  crossed  the  boundaries  of  his  own  tribal 
section,  and  was  in  the  district  of  enemies.  One 
of  his  tribesmen  had  killed  a  man  of  the  tribe  who 
occupied  this  district,  and  by  the  laws  of  the 
blood-feud,  it  was  their  turn  to  kill  some  one  of 
the  other  tribe.  Why  should  it  not  be  this 
guide?  With  difficulty  could  he  be  persuaded 
to  conduct  the  party  to  a  fountain,  whose  lo¬ 
cation  he  knew. 

When  the  sun  set,  the  moon  was  ready  to  take 

its  place,  and  by  the  waning  light  of  day  and  the 

ever-increasing  brightness  of  the  moon  the  party 

entered  a  little  valley,  where  flamed  a  shining 

rill  from  a  cool,  refreshing  fountain.  There  they 

pitched  their  tents  on  the  greensward  beside  the 

stream.  A  muleteer  was  despatched  with  the 

guide  to  a  near  village  to  purchase  barley  for  the 

well-deserving  animals.  Supper  was  served  in 

the  moonlight  to  three  hungry  travellers,  wearied 

93 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

from  a  fatiguing  ride  and  climb  of  seven  hours 
and  a  half  in  the  intensely  hot  sun. 

This  quiet,  lonely  valley  was  unique  as  a  camp¬ 
ing-place,  and  its  very  obscurity  gave  a  pervad¬ 
ing  sense  of  calm  and  security  from  all  observa¬ 
tion.  Not  a  soul  was  visible  all  the  long  even¬ 
ing.  The  travellers  were  monarchs  in  their 
lovely  little  valley.  Their  spirits  revived  under 
the  genial,  mellowing  influence,  and  soon  sweet 
harmonies  of  well-known  strains  echoed  from 
crag  to  crag  along  the  hills. 

How  marked  the  contrast  between  the  begin¬ 
ning  and  end  of  this  eventful  day!  The  one  was 
marked  by  haste,  confusion  and  alarm;  the  other 
came  like  a  gentle  benediction  upon  the  labors  of 
the  day.  That  night  a  watch  was  set  for  the 
first  time.  Each  one  in  his  turn  stood  guard 
over  tents  and  animals  and  slumbering  com¬ 
panions. 

The  ‘"otherwise  man  "took  his  turn  toward 
midnight.  All  nature  seemed  to  sleep,  save  the 
tiny  stream,  whose  gentle  murmur  broke  the  si¬ 
lence  of  the  night.  The  cold  rays  of  the  moon 
cast  stilly  shadows  alongside  rocks  and  shrubs. 
The  distant  howl  of  a  jackal  added  a  weird  charm 
to  the  strange,  quiet  scene. 

The  stars  above  were  friends, — those  never- 

94 


Maneuvering 

changing  reminders  of  God’s  love  to  man,  silvery 
ladders  of  light,  on  which  the  finite  mortal  may 
rise  in  thought  and  prayer  to  the  infinite  Creator. 
Amid  the  stillness  of  the  scene  came  the  com¬ 
forting  thought  of  a  loving  Protector. 

“  Silently  one  by  one,  in  the  infinite  meadows  of  heaven, 
Blossomed  the  lovely  stars,  the  forget-me-nots  of  the  angels.” 

— Longfellow. 


9 


95 


IX 


A  MEMORABLE  RIDGE 

Nothing  is  so  sure  to  arouse  a  hunter  from  his 
early  morning  sleep  as  the  calling  of  the  par¬ 
tridges  from  one  bush  to  another, — that  peculiar 
sound,  unmistakable  in  its  identity. 

Peaceful  Valley”  was  evidently  a  favorite 
haunt  of  doves  and  partridges.  They  could 
drink  at  the  purling  stream  and  find  refuge 
amongst  the  crags  and  low  bushes  of  the  moun¬ 
tain-sides. 

The  cackling  of  these  feathered  visitors  im¬ 
pressed  itself  upon  the  dreamy  half-conscious¬ 
ness  of  the  “Literary  Friend,”  until  he  fully  re¬ 
alized  the  situation.  Then  he  left  his  cot,  dressed 
himself,  and  started  in  pursuit  of  game.  But 
there  was  another  hunter  in  the  party,  fully  as 
desirous  of  a  shot  as  he.  It  was  the  “Aged 
Friend.”  That  hale  and  hearty  individual  no 
sooner  awoke  to  the  transaction,  than  he,  too, 
sprang  out  of  bed  and  into  a  garment  or  two, 
grasped  his  gun,  called  to  the  dogs,  and  was  out 

of  sight  amongst  the  rocks  and  bushes,  before 

96 


A  Memorable  Ridge 

the  third  member  of  the  expedition — notdi  hunter 
— could  array  himself  for  public  inspection. 

Soon  the  report  of  the  guns  awoke  the  echoes, 
the  dogs  brought  in  a  partridge  or  two,  and 
thus  the  fundamentals  for  an  excellent  lunch 
were  assured.  Still  the  chase  continued,  one 
hunter  up  aloft  on  the  ridge  of  the  barrier  moun¬ 
tain,  the  other  leaping  from  rock  to  rock,  hurling 
stones  into  every  clump  of  bushes,  up,  down, 
everywhere,  both  oblivious  of  the  flight  of  time 
and  the  labor  of  the  chase, — thorough  sportsmen. 

Long  after  the  ''otherwise  man"  in  despair 
had  begun  upon  bread  and  sweet-food,  the  two 
hunters  returned  and  took  a  hasty  bite  before  the 
process  of  "pulling  down  the  house"  began  in 
real  earnest.  Soon,  however,  the  whole  camp 
was  on  the  move  upward,  out  of  the  beautiful, 
lonely  valley,  to  the  highlands  toward  the  west. 
The  guide  of  yesterday  had  returned  early  in  the 
morning,  happy  in  the  possession  of  a  bright  sil¬ 
ver  Turkish  dollar. 

The  caravan  moved  on  past  fields  on  either 
side,  where  busy  scenes  of  ploughing  were  wit¬ 
nessed.  Dozens  of  yokes  of  oxen  were  circling 
about  the  fields  in  jerky  procession,  true  to  the 
Biblical  narrative.^  The  rude,  one-handled 

1  I  Kings  xix.  19. 

97 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

ploughs,  light  enough  to  be  carried  long  distances 
on  the  shoulder,  danced  unevenly  over  the  rough, 
stony  ground,  which  scarcely  felt  the  wounds 
made  by  the  simple  oriental  ploughshare.  It  is 
not  due  to  the  excellence  of  the  farm  implements 
that  the  soil  yields  “  an  hundredfold." 

The  travellers  next  passed  an  old  and  ruined 
town,  in  whose  midst  was  a  gigantic  tower, — a 
token  of  former  greatness  and  an  evidence  of 
energy  entirely  foreign  to  the  present  purposeless 
inhabitants.  For  they  live  mostly  in  caves  (if 
such  an  existence  could  be  called  living,  or  have 
piled  up  a  few  stones  from  the  ruins  of  a  nobler 
ancestry  and  covered  them  over  with  roofs  made 
of  sticks  and  branches  and  earth.  .They  have  a 
precious  legacy  in  a  subterranean  fountain, 
reached  by  descending  a  long  flight  of  steps,  ex¬ 
cavated  with  great  labor  in  the  hard  soil  in  the 
desire  to  make  available  the  precious  spring. 
There,  deep,  deep  down  bubbles  the  refreshing 
water,  a  priceless  acquisition  to  the  town. 

One  might  think  that  the  present  dwellers  in 

that  village  and  region  would  be  stimulated  to 

the  exhibition  of  a  little  pride  and  energy  by  the 

grand  examples  of  ancient  activity  ever  before 

their  eyes.  But  no  !  they  would  not  turn  over  a 

single  spadeful  of  soil  to  find  water.  They  would 

98 


A  LOAD  OF  WATER 


A  Memorable  Ridge 

rather  send  their  women  a  mile  to  some  spring 
to  carry  a  jarful  at  a  time  for  cooking  and  drink¬ 
ing  purposes. 

The  name  of  the  village  is  Hebras,  doubtless  a 
town  with  a  history,  could  it  but  divulge  its 
secrets. 

From  thereon  the  road  led  the  travellers 
through  a  long  valley,  and  up  to  a  ridge  bordered 
on  the  north  by  the  deep,  impassable  Yarmuk 
valley,  and  breaking  down  to  the  south  into  a 
wide,  depressed  plain,  whose  towns  and  hamlets, 
woods  and  valleys  formed  a  pleasing  panorama, 
and  ended  in  the  magnificent  prospect  of  the  high 
and  rugged  mountains  of  Gilead. 

This  northern  ridge  is  historic.  Along  its  whole 
length  may  be  traced  the  aqueduct,  which  in 
ancient  times  brought  water  to  Gadara  from 
fountains  in  distant  Haur^n.  At  some  points  it 
is  as  perfect  as  in  the  days  of  its  service,  at 
others  is  entirely  obliterated  by  time  and  the 
elements  and  man’s  destructive  hand.  This 
waterway  recalls  the  period  when  human  labor 
counted  for  nothing,  and  kings  had  but  to  order 
and  it  was  done,  despite  all  obstacles. 

Would  that  kings  had  always  directed  the 

labors  of  their  subjects  in  the  line  of  building 

aqueducts  and  other  useful  works,— peaceful  pur- 

99 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

suits  !  Alas,  this  ridge  brings  up  memories  of  war 
and  bloodshed, — host  battling  against  host,  and 
human  lives  held  as  valueless.  It  was  somewhere 
along  this  natural  barrier  between  north  and  south 
that  two  vast  civilizations,  leading  representatives 
of  the  Semitic  and  the  Japhetic  branches  of  man¬ 
kind,  met  in  deadly  conflict  to  decide  the  su¬ 
premacy  in  these  eastern  lands.  The  Greek  and  the 
Saracen  in  the  year  634,  a.  d.  ,  opposed  one  another, 
army  against  army,  and  history  records  the  deadly 
scene  in  the  battle  of  the  Hieromax.  The  Arabs 
bore  down  in  an  overwhelming  avalanche  upon 
the  fated  Greeks,  and  by  sheer  momentum  of 
dauntless  courage  pushed  them  over  the  precipice 
to  certain  death  in  the  valley  below.  This  battle 
sounded  the  death-knell  of  European  supremacy 
in  Syria,  and  opened  the  door  to  the  Moham¬ 
medans. 

To-day  the  country  lies  desolate?  Only  a  vil¬ 
lage  here  and  there  distinguishes  it  from  the  desert. 
Yet  this  northern  strip  of  ’Ajlun  is  better  than 
dreary  Jaulan  because  of  the  many  small  trees, 
which  are  the  promise  of  forest  lands  beyond. 

The  travellers  plodded  along  in  the  white  lime¬ 
stone  dust,  while  the  sun  beat  down  upon  them 
with  relentless  energy.  The  day  was  exception¬ 
ally  hot  and  the  dust  was  suffocating. 

100 


A  Memorable  Ridge 


“  The  sun 

Pours  the  unmoving  column  of  his  rays 
In  undiminish’d  heat ;  .  .  . 

The  parch’d  baked  earth,  undamp’d  by  usual  dews, 

Has  gaped  and  crack’d,  and  heat,  dry  midday  heat, 
Comes  like  a  drunkard’s  breath  upon  the  heart.”  * 

The  Syrian  sun!  Who  can  describe  it!  One 
might  conclude  that  it  is  a  different  orb  from  the 
genial  old  Sol,  who  smiles  down  upon  the  States. 
There  he  tempers  his  mighty  power,  unless  it  be 
that  the  dogs  in  August  bark  him  to  fury.  He 
warms  the  atmosphere  (and  sometimes  uncom¬ 
fortably),  and  countenances  the  fashion  of  shal¬ 
low  straw  hats. 

But  no  traveller  in  Syria  would  venture  to  pro¬ 
voke  his  wrath  by  meeting  him  with  less  than  a 
helmet  of  pith  or  cork.  He  burns  the  nose  to  a 
rubicund  hue  and  tans  the  skin  until  the  tourist 
might  merge  his  identity  in  that  of  some  swarthy 
Bedawy. 

The  unfortunates  of  this  particular  day’s  travel 
were  no  magicians  to  pacify  the  raging  sun  by 
soothing  incantations.  They  must  move  on, 
jogging  along  over  a  fairly  good  road,  but  ex¬ 
ceedingly  dusty,  with  no  water  at  hand  to  quench 
their  increasing  thirst.  They  were  glad  to  take 

noontide  shelter  under  a  clump  of  scrub-oaks, 

*  Van  Schaick. 

101 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

which  furnished  scanty  shade  for  such  a  day  of 
heat.  Nor  did  dry  biscuit  and  sweet-food  tend 
to  allay  the  desire  for  water.  They  then  ex¬ 
perienced  real  thirst.  The  intense  heat  had 
seemingly  burned  out  of  their  systems  the  last 
vestige  of  moisture.  The  driest  package  of 
desiccated  codfish  would  have  been  a  mineral 
spring  in  comparison  ! 

Would  that  the  old  aqueduct  were  still  carrying 
its  precious  burden  of  sparkling  water  !  Oh,  that 
some  water-seller  might  appear,  with  the  well- 
known  cry,  Oh,  ye  heated  ones,  oh,  ye  thirsty  !  ” 
even  though  the  goatskin  tucked  under  his  arm 
be  filled  with  lukewarm,  salty  water  ! 

No  such  good  fortune  was  the  lot  of  the  trav¬ 
ellers.  They  rested  as  best  they  could  for  an 
hour  or  two  with  unslaked  thirst,  then  mounted 
once  more  and  urged  their  animals  on,  now  over 
black  stretches  of  white  road,  now  amidst  min¬ 
iature  forests  of  scrub-oaks,  until  at  last  they 
stood  upon  the  summit  of  a  rising  knoll  and 
their  gaze  fell  upon  the  goal  of  the  day’s  journey, 
Gadara,  toward  which  they  hastened  with  eager 
steps. 


102 


X 


GADARA,  THE  CITY  OF  TOMBS 

As  the  three  tourists  stopped  for  a  moment  at 
the  rise  of  the  hill  to  rest  the  tired  horses,  from 
their  elevated  view-point  they  could  look  down 
upon  the  site  of  the  once-famed  city  of  Gadara. 
Its  modern  representative  is  mean  enough, — a 
usurper  of  its  situation  only.  At  first  glance 
the  sightseers  were  poorly  rewarded  for  their 
efforts. 

But  the  imagination  is  not  fettered  by  the  tes¬ 
timony  of  the  senses.  Suppose  these  travellers 
to  have  exchanged  personality  with  three  way¬ 
farers  of  nineteen  centuries  ago.  Then  let  them 
stand  upon  this  eminence.  What  a  magnificent 
scene  would  have  greeted  their  eyes!  A  truly 
Roman  city  would  have  lain  at  their  feet.  For 
Pompey  in  the  hour  of  his  ascendency  ordered 
the  rebuilding  of  the  place  in  regal  splendor,  to 
satisfy  the  wish  of  his  freedman,  Demetrius, 
who  had  been  born  there. 

Gadara  was  once  an  important  city.  Did  it 

not  belong  to  the  circle  of  the  Decapolis  ?  Was 

103 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

it  not  the  centre  of  the  whole  district  known  as 
**  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes  ”  A  royal  city 
it  was  indeed!  A  grand  boulevard  stretched 
toward  the  west,  lined  on  either  side  with  pil¬ 
lars  of  basalt  brought  from  a  distance.  This 
was  the  fashionable  quarter  of  Gadara,  where 
noble  Romans  had  their  villas,  and  passed  their 
time  in  driving  their  chariots  over  the  well-paved 
street.  To  this  day  the  ruts  worn  in  the  paving 
blocks  attest  the  frequent  passage  back  and  forth 
of  chariots  and  charioteers.  They  would  drive 
to  the  temple  to  strew  incense  upon  the  altar  of 
their  favorite  god,  or  to  the  theatre  (of  which 
there  were  two),  there  to  join  with  other  noble 
Romans  in  witnessing  the  plays,  or  seeing  a 
Christian  martyr  torn  to  pieces  by  wild  beasts. 

As  they  sat  in  the  rising  tiers  of  stone  seats  in 
the  great  amphitheatre,  what  a  wondrous  pros¬ 
pect  greeted  their  eyes !  Clearing  the  nearer  villas 
and  columned  avenue,  their  gaze  could  extend  off 
to  the  western  side  of  Jordan,  to  the  waving  line 
of  mountains,  to  Tabor  and  Gilboa  and  Gerezim 
and  Ebal.  Far  below  in  its  deep-sunken  basin, 
fully  nineteen  hundred  feet  beneath  them,  lay 
Galilee,  the  beautiful  lake,  shimmering  under  the 
rays  of  the  afternoon  sun. 

*  Mark  v.  I. 

104 


Gadara,  the  City  of  Tombs 

And  doubtless  all  the  surrounding  land  was 
laid  out  in  gardens  and  parks  to  please  the  eye 
of  the  noblemen,  and  the  breezes  wafted  to  their 
refined  senses  spiced  odors  of  rare  plants  and 
shrubs.  In  the  foreground  rose  the  citadel,  the 
crowning  feature  of  the  magnificent  city. 

Yet  Gadara  to  the  Christian  Bible-student  is 
connected  more  with  the  dead  than  with  the 
living.  Though  the  miracle  of  our  Lord  in  heal¬ 
ing  the  raving  maniac,  who  came  out  from  the 
tombs  to  meet  the  party,  ^  could  not  by  any  phys¬ 
ical  possibility  have  been  performed  in  or  near  the 
city  of  Gadara  itself,  yet  because  the  evangel 
locates  it  in  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes,  the 
mind  naturally  turns  to  rocky  tombs  and  deso¬ 
late  places — to  “the  city  of  the  dead.” 

The  necropolis  of  Gadara  is  well-nigh  as  ex¬ 
tensive  as  the  city  itself.  Between  three  and 
four  hundred  tombs  fill  the  eastern  quarter,  mak¬ 
ing  a  veritable  honeycomb.  These  tombs  are 
huge  caves  under  ground,  with  steps  leading 
down  to  well-wrought  doorways.  Many  of  the 
tombs  have  double  doors  of  hard  basalt  stone, 
which  were  carved  with  pivots  at  the  top  and 
bottom.  These  pivots  work  in  sockets  cut  into 
the  surrounding  frame.  Everything  is  of  stone, 

1  Matt.  viii.  28-34 ;  Mark  v.  1-20 ;  Luke  viii.  26-39. 

105 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

— frames,  pivots,  doors.  Most  of  them  are  still 
in  situ,  and  are  to-day  in  working  order. 

Some  of  the  caves  contain  carved  and  orna¬ 
mented  basalt  sarcophagi.  Many  of  them,  how¬ 
ever,  have  been  removed  and  utilized  as  troughs 
for  feeding  animals  and  holding  grain.  The 
tombs  themselves  constitute  excellent  storerooms 
for  fodder  and  the  like. 

Thus  have  the  present  inhabitants  made  use  of 
those  relics  of  a  bygone  age  of  splendor  and 
wealth.  How  great  the  contrast!  To-day  Gadara 
is  in  the  hands  of  a  dirty,  degenerate  population, 
— not  natives  of  the  soil,  but  exiles  from  old 
Shechem  across  the  Jordan.  A  more  untoward 
lot  was  not  seen  in  all  the  trip.  They  were  re¬ 
quested  to  sell  coal  and  bread.  The  former  was 
not  to  be  found  in  all  the  miserable  village  of  two 
hundred  souls.  They  use  smoky  chips  and  twigs 
instead. 

As  for  bread, — that  oriental  staple  never  re¬ 
fused  even  to  an  enemy, — Gadara  could,  or  rather 
would,  produce  none.  The  sheikh  of  the  village, 
when  asked  to  aid  in  the  matter,  replied  that  it 
would  be  a  disgrace  to  sell  bread.  Yet  his 
oriental  instincts  of  the  proprieties  failed  to 
discern  the  far  greater  disgrace  involved  in 

practically  refusing  to  provide  this  essential 

ica 


Gadara,  the  City  of  Tombs 

article.  Pride  prevented  a  sale;  stinginess,  a 
gift. 

Hard-pressed,  the  muleteers  finally  arranged 
with  a  man  to  bake  some  bread  for  them.  When 
it  appeared  in  camp,  even  the  muleteers,  accus¬ 
tomed  to  every  known  variety  of  food,  exclaimed 
in  wonder  and  amazement!  That  bread  might 
have  won  a  prominent  place  in  the  British  Mu¬ 
seum  I  Its  components  no  one  would  have  ven¬ 
tured  to  name.  It  left  a  lasting  impression  upon 
the  memory  of  all,  and  doubtless  a  painful  one 
upon  those  who  were  obliged  to  partake. 

The  present  name  of  the  town  is  Um  Keis,/.  e., 
‘‘mother  of  Keis.’’  This  appellation,  coupled 
with  the  extraordinary  display  of  culinary  ability 
above  mentioned,  led  the  facetious  member  of 
the  party  to  christen  it  “Mother  Keis’  Hotel." 

The  water  supply  of  this  degenerate  town  is  a 
fountain  situated  far  down  a  steep  and  narrow 
ravine,  fully  a  half  hour  away.  Near  this  foun¬ 
tain  the  travellers  found  a  level  spot  just  large 
enough  for  tents  and  animals  to  find  lodgment. 
There  they  passed  the  night,  though  not  very  com¬ 
fortably;  for  the  place  had  evidently  been  used 
for  tethering  donkeys  from  time  immemorial,  and 
was  a  mass  of  fine  dust  not  conducive  to  cleanli¬ 


ness. 


107 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Still,  they  were  thankful  that  they  could  be  free 
from  the  greater  of  the  two  evils, — the  town  up 
on  the  hilltop,  polluting  the  very  view  with  its 
squalor.  Good  it  is  that  the  noble  Romans, 
scented  and  bathed  and  clad  in  perfumed  gar¬ 
ments,  could  not  realize  the  degradation  of  their 
beautiful  city! 

The  fountain  furnished  a  study  in  the  tenacity 
of  custom.  It  was  at  the  rear  of  a  large  cavern 
in  the  face  of  the  cliff.  A  goodly  stream  issued 
from  the  rocky  wall  in  a  little  waterfall.  The 
floor  of  the  cavern  was  sunk  below  the  level  of 
the  ground  outside,  so  that  those  who  wished  to 
fill  their  water-skins  must  wade  in  water  two 
feet  deep.  Here  was  a  cause  of  wonderment  to 
a  progressive  westerner.  That  fountain,  fully  fif¬ 
teen  feet  within  the  cave,  had  been  there  for  years, 
and  the  women,  girls,  and  donkeys  of  that  town 
had  labored  down  the  long,  long  hill  with  their 
empty  water-skins  (Biblical  as  could  be  desired), 
and  had  waded  through  the  pool  of  water  to 
reach  the  flowing  fountain! 

And  why  should  they  do  otherwise?  Their 

mothers  and  grandmothers  had  been  content  thus 

to  draw  water.  Has  the  thought  never  occurred 

to  any  one  during  all  this  time  that  they  might 

fill  up  the  undesirable  pool  with  the  loose  stones 

108 


Gadara,  the  City  of  Tombs 

which  abound  everywhere,  and  thus  make  a 
rough  causeway  to  the  interior  of  the  cave ?  No; 
such  a  burst  of  genius  would  be  mentally  dele¬ 
terious,  and  would  be  out  of  harmony  with  the 
general  effect  of  the  picture.  Who  would  wish 
to  change  one  line  or  bit  of  color  in  it  ?  Foun¬ 
tain,  village  and  villagers,  with  dirt,  donkeys,  and 
universal  indigence,  rise  in  memory  and  invari¬ 
ably  (even  though  contrary  to  fact)  bring  to  mind 
another  series  of  pictures, — a  herd  of  two  thou¬ 
sand  swine;  a  demoniac  “clothed,  and  in  his 
right  mind”;  a  great  number  of  angry  villagers ; 
a  gentle,  yearning,  loving  Presence  departing 
from  their  midst,  driven  away,  never  to  return 
with  the  priceless  Word  of  Life,  far  greater  in 
value  than  many  a  herd  of  filthy  swine. 

Gadara  must  suffer  for  the  sin  of  her  one-time 
dependency,  Gersa,  where  the  miracle  and  the 
rejection  of  our  Lord  most  probably  occurred. 
But  to-day  Gadara,  the  city  of  tombs,  represents, 
in  the  mind  of  the  visitor,  a  sordid  greed  and  a 
rejected  Saviour. 

“Then  the  whole  multitude  of  the  country  of 
the  Gardarenes  round  about  besought  him  to  de¬ 
part  from  them.”  ^ 

Turn,  now,  to  a  brighter  and  a  cleaner  picture. 

*  Luke  viii.  37. 

109 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

The  old  Romans,  whose  villas  graced  the  boule¬ 
vard  of  Gadara,  delighted  in  abundance  of  water. 
Not  only  had  they  the  aqueduct,  bringing  a  refresh¬ 
ing  stream  from  far-off  fountains,  but  they  could 
spend  their  leisure  hours  at  the  famous  hot 
springs  of  the  Hieromax,  down  in  the  deep  valley 
to  the  north.  It  was  a  long  descent  to  the  river- 
level,  but  they  had  abundance  of  time  for  such 
excursions.  There  the  precipitous  banks  of  the 
river  broke  down  on  the  one  side  into  sloping 
terraces,  and  on  the  other  widened  out  into  a 
luxuriant,  triangular  plain.  Palms  and  other  sub¬ 
tropical  vegetation  were  found  in  rich  profusion. 
The  view  glistened  in  its  broad,  winding  course. 
Stately  buildings, — theatres,  baths  and  villas, — 
united  to  make  this  place  second  only  to  the  re¬ 
nowned  Italian  Baise  as  a  resort  for  the  rich  and 
titled  Roman  youth. 

Time  and  neglect  have  levelled  the  princely 

edifices,  and  only  traces  remain  in  prostrate 

columns  and  fallen  walls.  Yet  time  has  been 

kind  to  the  natural  beauties  of  the  place.  It  is  an 

attractive  spot,  despite  neglect  and  ruin.  The 

pools  of  steaming  water,  even  as  of  yore,  show 

a  temperature  of  1 19°, — far  too  hot  for  comfort. 

The  old  arrangement  of  double  tanks  still  exists, 

whereby  the  hot  water  is  drawn  off  from  one  to 

110 


Gadara,  the  City  of  Tombs 

another  and  there  allowed  to  cool.  Even  then  it 
was  too  hot  for  nineteenth  century  missionaries. 
It  was  highly  suggestive  of  Roman  tortures. 
But  a  Bedawy  at  hand,  tough  of  skin,  leaped 
into  the  pool  and  remained  there  for  a  long  time! 
The  tourists  were  quite  content  to  retire  in  his 
favor,  and  seek  a  cooler  retreat  in  the  shade  of  a 
compact  little  theatre  close  by  the  spring. 

The  ride  down  the  valley  from  the  hot  springs 
was  a  beautiful  one,  with  the  rushing  stream  in 
full  view,  and  Um  Keis  receding  in  the  back¬ 
ground.  The  travellers  followed  the  narrow 
path,  at  first  along  the  river-bottom,  then  up 
high  on  the  sloping  mountain-side,  until  at  last 
they  emerged  upon  the  wide  plain  at  the  south¬ 
ern  end  of  Galilee.  There  they  could  forget  all 
discomforts  of  previous  days  in  the  delightful 
prospect  before  them.  For  they  were  returning 
to  civilization,  to  enjoy  a  quiet  day  or  two  with 
friends  and  renew  acquaintance  with  books  and 
papers. 

They  reached  the  lake  about  noontime,  rested  a 
while  and  bathed  in  its  refreshing  waters,  wash¬ 
ing  away  the  last  vestige  of  Gadara's  unpleasant 
contagion.  After  lunch  the  party  rode  on  along 
the  southern  shore  of  the  lake,  glad  in  the 
thought  of  rest. 


Ill 


XI 


A  SABBATH  BESIDE  GALILEE 

The  camp  at  Tiberias  was  well  chosen  for 
situation.  High  up  on  the  brown  bluffs  overlook¬ 
ing  city  and  lake  the  white  tents  gleamed  under 
the  afternoon  sun.  Their  occupants  made  them 
specially  tidy,  and  the  table  was  spread  in  the 
doorway,  that  the  beautiful  view  might  not  be 
lost.  For  this  was  not  to  be  an  ordinary  stop 
over  night,  but  Saturday  and  Sunday  were  to  be 
spent  here  and  friends  might  be  expected  to  call. 
There  were  letters  to  read  and  letters  to  write, 
and,  best  of  all,  there  was  the  ever-present  pic¬ 
ture  of  the  peaceful  lake,  the  most  beautiful,  the 
most  restful  spot  in  the  world. 

"  How  pleasant  to  me  thy  deep  blue  wave, 

O  sea  of  Galilee ! 

For  the  glorious  One  who  came  to  save 
Hath  often  stood  by  thee. 

****** 

“  Graceful  around  thee  the  mountains  meet, 

Thou  calm  reposing  sea ; 

But,  ah,  far  more !  the  beautiful  feet 

Of  Jesus  walked  o’er  thee.” — M^Cheyne,  v 
112 


TIBERIAS  AND  THE  SEA  OF  GALILEE 


A  Sabbath  Beside  Galilee 

Who  would  not  wish  to  sit  down  with  the 
travellers  at  their  evening  meal  ?  Many  a  devout 
worshipper  of  our  Lord  has  longed  to  see  with 
the  natural  eye  what  is  his  to  see  only  with  the 
eye  of  faith.  Many  a  saint,  rich  in  grace  and 
works,  has  yearned  to  look  upon  the  scene  of 
Christ’s  earthly  labors.  Every  year  come  hun¬ 
dreds  of  tourists,  at  no  trifling  outlay  of  time, 
expense  and  personal  inconvenience,  that  they 
may  stand  beside  the  hallowed  lake. 

Silently,  reverently  the  true  believer  waits  at 
the  shores  of  blue  Galilee,  and  as  he  meditates 
upon  the  spotless  Life  spent  beside  the  still 
waters,  his  thoughts  are  all  enhanced  by  the 
harmonious  views  of  nature  round  about. 
Where  could  be  found  a  more  beautiful,  truly 
appropriate  setting  to  the  mental  picture  of 
the  innocent  Lamb  of  God  than  in  the  ex¬ 
quisite  physical  surroundings  on  that  quiet  even¬ 
ing!  The  fading  light  of  day  in  the  western 
sky  scarce  dimmed  the  rays  of  the  rising  moon, 
as  it  ascended  higher  and  yet  higher  in  the 
east,  sending  its  calm,  cold  rays  over  the 
obstructing  mountains  down  to  the  quiet  lake 
below.  As  the  brightness  reached  the  placid 
waters,  there  stretched  from  shore  to  shore  a 

silvery  path  of  shimmering  light,  as  though  the 

113 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

angels  were  preparing  the  way  for  the  Saviour 
once  more  to  approach,  walking  on  the  water, 
as  of  yore. 

Peace,  perfect  peace  overspread  the  scene. 
Hardly  a  ripple  stirred  the  face  of  the  lake.  No 
sound  was  heard  from  the  quiet  city.  Far  across 
to  the  northeast  the  crater  cones  stood  out  in  the 
abundant  moonlight,  and  the  travellers  could 
discern  how  their  path  had  led  them  amongst 
those  hermit  mounts.  There  rose  noble  Hermon 
to  the  north,  standing  out  in  lofty  solitude,  in¬ 
deed  the  sheikh  of  the  mountains.  The  south¬ 
ern  horizon  was  closed  by  the  mountains  of 
Gilead,  dimly  revealed  in  the  distant  prospect. 

As  one  stood  upon  the  overhanging  bluff,  his 
thoughts  might  wander  back  to  distant  centuries, 
and  his  memories  harmonize  with  the  dim,  ro¬ 
mantic  sheen  cast  over  all  the  scene  far  and  near 
by  the  full-orbed  moon  and  the  myriad  stars  of 
heaven.  He  might  look  down,  and,  almost  at 
his  feet,  in  imagination  view  the  marble  palace 
of  a  Herod,  in  the  newly-built  city  dedicated  to 
Tiberias  Caesar,  with  streets  laid  out  in  ancient 
splendor,  its  baths  and  seaside  villas  the  resort  of 
the  rich  and  titled  aristocracy  of  the  Roman  city. 
Near  the  southern  end  of  the  lake  might  be  seen 

another  town.  Hippos,  whose  name  reveals  its 

114 


VILLAGE  AT  MIGDEL 


I 

v*: 


-  ■ 


A  Sabbath  Beside  Galilee 

Greek  origin, — one  of  the  Decapolis.  Far  up 
on  the  eastern  ridge  gleam  the  columns  of 
Gadara’s  boulevard.  Gamala  and  Taricheas  in¬ 
cluded  in  imagination’s  picture. 

Yet  these  Greek  and  Roman  cities  find  small 
place  in  the  devout  memory,  which  seeks  other 
places  touched  by  the  divine  life  of  the  Son  of 
Man.  It  is  not  recorded  that  our  Lord  ever  en¬ 
tered  Tiberias,  or  climbed  the  steeps  to  Gadara. 
No  doubt  He  visited  those  centres  of  population. 
But  nothing  is  said  of  such  visits.  The  eye 
dwells  but  momentarily  on  the  wonders  of  Ro¬ 
man  greatness,  and  rests  upon  the  scenes  to  the 
north.  It  seeks  out  the  little  village  of  Magdala, 
— not  far  away,  just  over  the  cliff,  at  the  borders 
of  the  plain  of  Gennesaret.  Thence  came  Mary 
the  Magdalene,  upon  whom  the  Divine  Physician 
wrought  a  marvellous  cure,^  and  she  in  grateful 
recognition  of  His  mercy  became  an  humble  fol¬ 
lower  and  helper  in  His  needs. 

That  wide-spreading,  fertile  plain  of  Gennes¬ 
aret!  How  it  must  have  teemed  with  multitudes 
in  towns  and  villages!  While  now  it  is  all  but 
deserted,  then  our  Lord  found  much  to  do  on  its 
plain  and  at  its  shores.  There  it  was  that  He 
used  the  beautiful,  though  commonplace,  illus- 

J  Matt.  XV.  39 ;  Luke  viii.  2. 

115 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

tration  of  the  sower  and  the  seed  ^  to  enforce  in 
the  minds  of  His  hearers  an  important  truth. 
They  crowded  about  the  shores  in  great  numbers, 
while  He  stood  in  the  boat  just  off  the  shore. 
The  lowly  fishing-smack,  made  serviceable  as  a 
floating  pulpit,  was  gently  rocked  by  the  rippling 
waves  of  the  quiet  sea,  and  the  Great  Teacher 
revealed  to  them  the  way  of  life,  looking  lovingly 
upon  the  dense  mass  of  human  beings,  for  whom 
His  own  soul  yearned  as  a  parent  fora  lost  child. 
Behind  and  beyond  the  crowds  He  could  see 
the  gently-rising  plain,  bearing  on  its  bosom  long 
stretches  of  ground  prepared  for  the  sowing. 
There  He  could  discern  the  narrow  path,  passing 
through  the  cultivated  fields,  pressed  hard  by  the 
tread  of  oxen,  horses  and  men;  in  one  place 
there  was  the  good  soil,  warm  and  deep;  in  an¬ 
other  a  mere  covering  of  earth  over  the  limestone 
rock;  with  clumps  of  thorny  bushes  springing 
up  on  the  borders.  Perhaps,  as  our  Lord  looked 
upon  this  scene,  some  farmer,  too  busy  with  the 
cares  of  this  world  to  be  attracted  by  the  words 
of  salvation  which  fell  from  the  lips  of  Jesus, 
was  even  then  engaged  in  sowing  the  seed, — un¬ 
consciously  furnishing  a  sacred  lesson  to  be 
handed  down  the  ages. 

*  Matt.  xiii.  1-23. 

116 


A  Sabbath  Beside  Galilee 

How  typical  of  our  Lord’s  work!  He  sowed 
on  all  soils.  He  spared  not  the  seed.  Wonder¬ 
ful  power  and  force  of  propagation  there  was  in 
that  seed!  Nations  have  been  born,  have  flour¬ 
ished  and  passed  away  since  that  time.  But  the 
seed  of  the  Word,  sown  beside  the  quiet  little 
lake,  has  been  propagated,  until  to-day  its  in¬ 
crease  is  found  in  every  nation  of  the  globe! 
Verily,  God  “hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of 
the  world  to  confound  the  things  which  are 
mighty.” 

How  busy  was  the  divine  Master!  From  the 
day  that  He  called  Peter  and  Andrew,  James  and 
John  away  from  their  boats  and  nets  to  follow 
Him  and  become  “fishers  of  men,”  He  led  a  life 
of  unceasing  activity.  Mark  records Uhat  “in  the 
morning,  rising  up  a  great  while  before  day,  He 
went  out,  and  departed  into  a  solitary  place,  and 
there  prayed.  And  Simon  and  they  that  were 
with  Him  followed  after  Him.  And  when  they 
had  found  Him,  they  said  unto  Him,  All  men 
seek  for  Thee.  And  He  said  unto  them,  Let  us 
go  elsewhere  into  the  next  towns,  that  1  may 
preach  there  also:  for  therefore  came  I  forth.” 

Capernaum  on  the  north  shore  of  the  lake  was 
specially  favored  as  being  the  Galilee  home  of 

‘  Mark  i,  35-38. 

117 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

our  Lord.  As  in  Judsea  He  made  the  Bethany 
house  of  Lazarus  His  home  while  there,  so  in  His 
labors  about  Galilee  He  always  returned  to  the 
house  of  Peter  in  Capernaum.^  Many  are  the 
miracles  recorded,  plain  and  important  were  the 
teachings  of  our  Lord  in  that  place!  None  too 
lowly,  none  too  exalted  for  His  merciful  touch. 
He  healed  a  raving  demoniac, **  and  raised  Peter’s 
wife’s  mother  from  her  bed  of  sickness.®  On 
His  way  to  heal  the  daughter  of  Jairus,^the  ruler 
of  the  Jews,  He  stopped  to  speak  to  a  poor 
woman  in  the  throng,  who  had  received  the  cure 
she  desired  by  merely  touching  the  hem  of  His 
garment^  While  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  a  noble¬ 
man  came  to  Him  in  great  haste,  beseeching  Him 
to  go  down  to  Capernaum  and  save  his  son  from 
death.  By  a  word  the  youth  was  restored,  even 
though  the  Great  Physician  was  far  away.®  Ro¬ 
mans,  too,  received  favors  from  His  gracious 
hand.  A  centurion  besought  Him  for  the  life  of 
a  favorite  servant,  and  for  his  great  faith  this 
was  granted  him.^  It  was  in  Capernaum  that 
He  spoke  the  wonderful  words  concerning  the 
bread  of  life.®  There,  too,  He  placed  a  little 

*  Mark  i.  29.  *  Matt.  ix.  32,  33.  ^  Luke  iv.  38,  39. 

^Luke  viii.  41,  etc.  ®Matt.  ix.  20.  fijohn  iv.  46-53. 

’Matt.  viii.  5-13.  ®John  vi.  26,  etc. 

118 


A  Sabbath  Beside  Galilee 

child  in  the  midst  of  His  ambitious  disciples, 
saying,  “Except  ye  be  converted,  and  become 
as  little  children,  ye  shall  not  enter  into  the  king¬ 
dom  of  heaven.”  ^ 

Favored  city,  to  have  seen  and  heard  the  great 
Master!  How  must  her  citizens  have  listened 
with  reverence  and  awe  to  those  divine  words  of 
wisdom,  and  obeyed  the  injunctions  to  repent 
and  believe!  Alas!  what  do  we  hear  the  Sav¬ 
iour  say?  “And  thou,  Capernaum,  which  art 
exalted  unto  heaven,  shalt  be  brought  down  to 
hell:  for  if  the  mighty  works,  which  have  been 
done  in  thee,  had  been  done  in  Sodom,  it  would 
have  remained  until  this  day.”* 

That  prophecy  is  literally  fulfilled!  Not  one 
stone  stands  upon  another,  and  even  the  site  of 
the  once-prosperous  city  is  disputed  by  those 
who  should  know. 

«  Tell  me,  ye  mouldering  fragments,  tell, 

Was  the  Saviour’s  city  here  ? 

Lifted  to  heaven,  has  it  sunk  to  hell, 

With  none  to  shed  a  tear?” — M^Cheyne. 

Chorazin,  likewise,  and  Bethsaida,  where  the 
Lord  worked  other  miracles,  have  suffered  the 
same  fate,  doomed  to  oblivion,  as  our  Saviour 
said.*  To-day  those  sacred  shores  are  calm, — 

*  Matt,  xviii.  3.  ^  Matt.  xi.  23.  >  Luke  x«  13. 

119 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

but  only  with  the  quiet  of  the  wilderness, — for¬ 
gotten  places. 

Then  the  whole  lake  in  its  length  of  a  dozen 
miles  or  more  felt  the  touch  of  a  Divine  hand,  and 
seemed  to  reflect  the  peace,  the  repose  of  a  super¬ 
natural  will.  Galilee  is  the  scene  of  Christ's 
peaceful  works,  while  in  His  Jerusalem  ministry 
all  was  turbulence  and  strife.  It  might  even  be 
admissible  to  say  that  Galilee,  the  beautiful,  the 
peaceful,  could  not  have  been  chosen  for  the 
scene  of  His  crucifixion. 

Even  in  its  angry  moods,  when  lashed  to  mad¬ 
ness  by  the  raging  winds,  it  remained  obedient 
to  the  Divine  word  of  command,  Peace,  be 
still.”  ^  And  after  His  resurrection,  as  if  with  the 
desire  once  more  to  see  His  disciples  in  that 
quiet  region  and  beside  the  peaceful  lake,  the 
risen  Redeemer  appeared  to  them  there,  as  they 
fished,  and  called  to  them.  Then  he  led  them 
away  to  a  near  mountain  and  gave  them  His  last 
command  to  “  go  into  all  the  world.”  ^ 

The  lustre  of  that  glorious  Presence  still  per¬ 
vades  these  shores.  Some  one  has  written  of 
sermons  in  stones.”  Here  are  sermons  in 
scenes, — scenes,  which  cannot  be  polluted  by 
human  superstition  and  clerical  myths.  For 
1  Mark  iv.  39.  »  Mark  xvi.  15 


120 


A  Sabbath  Beside  Galilee 

they  have  to  do  with  nature,  not  man.  No  need 
to  offer  threadbare  stories  to  prove  the  reality  of 
these  places.  Galilee  is  now  what  it  was  in  our 
Lord’s  time  in  all  but  the  part  which  man  played. 
That  has  passed  away,  leaving  the  better  part, — 
better,  because  natural.  The  placid  waters  of 
the  lake  cannot  be  changed  by  man,  nor  do  the 
eastern  precipitous  bluffs  lose  one  whit  of  their 
grandeur  as  the  years  pass  by.  Peter  and  John 
and  all  the  disciples  of  our  Lord  have  departed. 
Roman  turrets  and  glistening  ramparts  have 
crumbled  away.  The  Crusaders  have  come  and 
gone,  their  memory  kept  in  the  massive,  though 
fast-decaying  walls  and  towers  about  the  city  of 
Tiberias.  All  these  have  seen  their  day. 

But  the  Divine  Healer  in  His  life  and  teachings 
has  given  an  impulse  to  charitable  works,  un¬ 
dreamed  of  before  His  time.  Where  in  all  the 
Roman  world  could  have  been  found  a  hospital, 
an  asylum,  a  resort  of  any  kind  for  the  healing  of 
body  or  mind.^  Christ,  as  embodied  in  Chris¬ 
tianity,  has  filled  the  world  with  noble  institutions, 
for  the  relief  of  pain  and  restoration  of  bodily  and 
mental  powers. 

To-day  there  stands  beside  the  sacred  lake  a 

spacious  hospital,  built  by  Scottish  Christians, 

who  have  desired  to  follow  the  example  of  the 

121 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Great  Physician.  A  rare  privilege  was  accorded 
the  “otherwise  man”  on  Sunday  morning,  when 
he  was  permitted  to  address  the  patients  gathered 
in  the  little  chapel.  Most  of  them  were  Jews. 
Tiberias  is  a  great  centre  for  these  people,  gath¬ 
ered  from  many  parts  of  the  world.  Some  of  the 
listeners  were  brought  in  by  attendants  and  laid 
gently  near  the  speaker’s  stand.  Many  circum¬ 
stances  recalled  the  Divine  Preacher  to  the  sick 
and  suffering, — the  nearness  to  the  lake,  the 
presence  of  halt,  maimed,  and  blind,  the  Jewish 
faces  and  oriental  dress.  Even  the  language 
was  akin  to  the  Aramaic,  which  the  Lord  may 
have  used  in  His  talk,  when  “the  common 
people  heard  Him  gladly.”  Nor  were  these 
listeners  inattentive,  as  the  word  was  read, 
hymns  sung  and  thoughts  presented.  True,  the 
Jews  of  the  present  time  are  indeed  “  children  of 
Abraham,”  as  were  their  forefathers,  and  they 
strenuously  reject  the  Saviour.  But  our  Lord 
was  not  discouraged  in  His  labors,  and  shall  His 
followers  relinquish  hope  ? 

As  the  beautiful  Sabbath  day  drew  to  a  close, 

and  the  last  many-colored  hues  on  the  eastern 

mountains  had  faded  away  with  the  setting  sun, 

then  sweet  music,  full  of  cheer  and  comfort, 

sounded  on  the  evening  air.  In  the  parlor  of  the 

122 


4 


A  Sabbath  Beside  Galilee 

missionary  home,  beside  the  quiet  lake,  the 
tourists  passe.d  a  delightful  hour  in  song. 
Familiar  hymns  and  inspiring  solos  from  the 
grand  oratorios  seemed  to  bring  nearer  the 
blessed  One,  whose  steps  had  hallowed  these 
pleasant  shores.  And  what  could  be  more 
beautiful  than  the  tender  refrain,  sung  often  in 
the  home-land,  but  never  so  appropriately  as 
beside  those  tranquil  waters  shimmering  in  the 
moonlight: 

O  Galilee  !  sweet  Galilee  T 

Where  Jesus  loved  so  much  to  be : 

O  Galilee !  blue  Galilee ! 

Come  sing  thy  song  again  to  me  1  ’* 


123 


XII 


A  PROPHECY  AND  A  FULFILLMENT 

Retrospect  is  a  clever  artist.  It  softens  the 
darker  lines  of  past  experiences,  brings  into  prom¬ 
inence  the  more  interesting  features,  and  tones 
the  whole  picture  with  the  subtle  sub-coloring 
of  a  genial  hopefulness. 

As  the  travellers  arose  on  Monday  morning, 
after  the  grateful  rest  of  the  quiet,  peaceful  Sab¬ 
bath,  memories  of  intense  heat  and  waterless 
plateaux,  of  deficiencies  in  coal  and  bread,  and  of 
possible  detection  and  detention,  had  given  place 
to  more  agreeable  anticipations.  For  the  week 
was  to  be  spent  in  a  delightful  portion  of  the 
country,  filled  with  woods  and  fountains,  and 
Jerash  was  the  goal  before  them.  This  goal  they 
might  reach  by  either  of  two  routes.  One  would 
lead  them  through  the  mountainous  land  of  Tob,' 
south  of  Gadara,  and  thus  by  pleasant  stages  to 
the  desired  point. 

The  other  route  lay  partly  along  the  depressed 
valley  of  the  Jordan,  partly  through  the  heavy 

j  Judges  xi.  3,  5. 

124 


A  Prophecy  and  a  Fulfillment 

woodlands  of  'Ajlun.  Although  this  way  prom¬ 
ised  to  be  hot  and  tiresome  during  the  first  day’s 
ride  over  the  long  stretches  of  the  sunken  plain, 
it  was  chosen,  nevertheless,  because  of  the  wealth 
of  historical  associations  connected  with  the  re¬ 
gion,  and  more  especially,  because  the  site  of 
Pella  was  the  objective  point  of  Monday’s  travel. 
For  this  little  city  was  once  the  divinely-provided 
retreat  of  the  early  Christians  during  the  years 
which  followed  the  establishment  of  the  infant 
church  of  Christ.  Pella  is  connected  with  a 
prophecy  and  a  fulfillment.  The  prophecy  fell 
from  the  lips  of  the  Lord  Himself;  the  fulfillment 
was  accomplished  all  unconsciously  by  the  Ro¬ 
man  legions. 

Ere  the  tourists  leave  the  camp  at  Tiberias,  it 
may  be  well  to  refresh  the  memory  regarding  the 
events  of  those  early  years  and  review  the  record 
of  Rome’s  destructive  work  in  Palestine. 

At  about  the  time  when  the  noble  apostle  Paul 
lay  languishing  in  a  Roman  prison,  awaiting 
death,  as  no  uncertain  tradition  indicates,  at  the 
hands  of  the  monster  Nero;  that  infamous  ruler 
conceived  the  necessity  of  subduing  Palestine 
and  the  proud  Jewish  nation.  He  found  them 
very  different  from  other  tribes  and  nations  that 

had  come  under  the  sway  of  the  Roman  eagles. 

125 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

They  were  an  independent,  haughty  race,  and 
their  very  religion,  free  from  idolatry,  was  a 
matter  of  remark  to  the  idol-loving  Romans. 
Other  nations  and  principalities  had  easily  taken 
a  place  in  the  accommodating  Roman  common¬ 
wealth,  and  their  gods  had  been  added  to  the 
number  of  the  national  deities.  But  this  avow- 

t 

edly  monotheistic  nation  was  perseveringly  stub¬ 
born.  And  they  were  so  situated  geographically, 
as  to  render  it  imperative  that  the  land  be  thor¬ 
oughly  subdued. 

This  difficult  task  was  assigned  to  Vespasian, 
a  skilled  veteran  of  many  a  rough  campaign, 
who  undertook  the  work  with  most  thorough 
preparation.  He  gathered  a  redoubtable  army  of 
sixty  thousand  men  at  Ptolemais  (Acre),  the  door 
of  all  Galilee.  Thence  he  advanced  toward  the 
east.  All  the  open  country  and  unfortified  towns 
fell  quickly  into  his  hands.  The  first  severe  and 
protracted  siege  was  before  Jotapata,  where 
Josephus,  the  historian  of  the  war,  commanded 
the  Jewish  forces.  The  beleaguered  inhabitants 
resisted  till  the  last  vestige  of  hope  had  vanished, 
when  they  were  all  put  to  the  sword  (save  Jose¬ 
phus  himself,  who  escaped  by  a  doubtful  ruse), 
and  as  many  as  forty  thousand  Jews  perished. 

This  was  but  one  instance  of  the  terrible  scenes 

126 


A  Prophecy  and  a  Fulfillment 

that  accompanied  the  army’s  progress  through 
the  land.  Peaceful  Galilee  was  transformed  into 
a  charnel  house,  and  the  lovely  lake  assumed  a 
bloody  hue  from  the  deadly  sea-fights  thereon. 

Tiberias  voluntarily  opened  its  gates  to  Titus, 
son  of  Vespasian,  but  Tarichese,  along  the  south¬ 
ern  shore,  sustained  a  heavy  siege.  It  was  of  no 
avail.  The  Roman  armies  were  victorious.  Over 
six  thousand  of  the  inhabitants  perished  on  the 
spot,  and  the  strangers  were  marched  away  from 
the  doomed  city  along  the  lake  shore  to  Tiberias, 
to  be  slaughtered,  if  old  and  unserviceable,  or,  if 
strong  and  robust,  to  be  sent  to  Greece  to  dig 
the  great  canal.  Six  thousand  youths  were  thus 
transported  as  a  tribute  to  Nero.  The  rest  of  the 
inhabitants,  over  thirty  thousand,  were  given  to 
Herod  Agrippa,  or  sold  in  the  slave  market. 

Gamala,  an  almost  inaccessible  fortress  and 
town  at  the  east  of  the  lake,  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Romans,  though  not  without  severe  loss  to 
them.  The  city  was  built  on  a  projecting  spur 
of  the  eastern  bluffs,  and  the  houses,  built  in  ter¬ 
races,  overhung  one  another  in  a  precipitous 
manner.  Josephus  relates  that  the  Roman  le¬ 
gions,  having  gained  access  to  the  city,  crowded 
into  the  upper  rows  of  houses  in  great  numbers. 

This  immense  and  unusual  weight  loosened  the 

127 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

houses  from  their  precarious  foundations  and 
bore  them  down  upon  the  houses  below.  These 
in  turn  crashed  down  to  lower  levels.  Thus 
perished  many  Romans, — ground  to  powder  in 
the  falling  ruins,  or  suffocated  by  the  dust  that 
arose  from  the  debris.  Vespasian  himself  led  a 
second  attack,  which  was  successful.  In  this 
siege  nearly  ten  thousand  Jews  perished. 

Gadara  next  succumbed  to  a  bloody  siege,  and 
thousands  met  death  by  the  sword,  or  were 
drowned  in  the  Jordan,  whither  they  had  been 
pursued. 

Thus  in  one  short  year  was  all  Galilee  subdued. 
Cities  and  villages,  fortresses  and  plains,  fell  into 
the  power  of  the  Romans,  until  all  of  northern 
Palestine  was  laid  waste,  and  its  inhabitants  put 
to  the  sword.  Strange  contrast!  The  shores  of 
gentle  Galilee  transformed  into  afield  of  blood! 

The  southern  portions  of  the  country  were  next 
assailed  in  similar  manner,  in  tragic  preparation 
for  the  final  scene, — the  memorable  siege  of  Jeru¬ 
salem.  The  destruction  of  this  city  in  the  year 
70  A.  D.  was  a  remarkable  example  of  the  literal 
fulfillment  of  prophecy.  Our  Lord,  as  he  stood 
before  the  massive  temple  in  the  streets  of  the 
Holy  City,  had  plainly  told  His  disciples  of  com¬ 
ing  events.  '‘And  when  ye  shall  see  Jerusalem 

128 


A  Prophecy  and  a  Fulfillment 

compassed  with  armies,  then  know  that  the 
desolation  thereof  is  nigh.  Then  let  them 
which  are  in  Judcea  flee  to  the  mountains;  and 
let  them  which  are  in  the  midst  of  it  depart  out; 
and  let  not  them  that  are  in  the  countries  enter 
thereinto.  For  these  be  the  days  of  vengeance, 
that  all  things  which  are  written  maybe  fulfilled. 
But  woe  unto  them  that  are  with  child,  and  to 
them  that  give  suck,  in  those  days!  for  there 
shall  be  great  distress  in  the  land,  and  wrath 
upon  this  people.  And  they  shall  fall  by  the  edge 
of  the  sword,  and  shall  be  led  away  captive  into 
all  nations,  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down 
of  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  be 
fulfilled.”^ 

To  Titus,  the  able  son  of  Vespasian,  was  com¬ 
mitted  the  conduct  of  the  siege  of  Jerusalem. 

He  began  operations  in  April,  at  the  time  of 
the  great  feast  of  the  Passover,  when  Jews  from 
all  the  world  were  assembled  within  the  city 
walls,  and  the  vast  numbers  added  greatly  to  the 
terrible  vividness  of  the  foretold  tragedy.  The 
Roman  general  used  the  utmost  precautions  in 
fortifying  his  position  by  banks  and  trenches. 
He  was  greatly  aided  by  the  riotous  dissensions 
inside  the  sacred  city  itself.  The  ranks  of  the 

1  Luke  xxi.  20-24. 

123 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Jews  were  divided  into  three  parties,  who  filled 
Jerusalem  with  internecine  carnage  and  blinding 
confusion.  The  people,  though  brave,  were  un¬ 
skilled,  and  no  match  for  the  veteran  soldiers  of 
the  enemy.  Famine,  too,  added  its  gloomy  hor¬ 
rors.  Who  can  describe  the  agonies  of  a  million 
people,  shut  in  to  starvation  and  maddening  pes¬ 
tilence!  The  stronger  preyed  upon  the  weaker. 
Even  maternal  instincts  failed  and  the  children 
starved  to  death  before  their  mothers.  Those 
who  ventured  outside  the  walls  in  search  of  grain 
or  other  food,  were  seized  by  Roman  soldiers,  to 
the  number  of  five  hundred  a  day,  and  crucified 
before  the  eyes  of  the  Jewish  populace  upon  the 
walls.  So  many  were  they  that  '‘room  was 
wanting  for  the  crosses,  and  crosses  wanting  for 
the  bodies.”  Ah,  did  not  the  Jews  then  call  to 
mind  their  atrocious  crime  in  crucifying  One 
who  did  them  naught  but  good  ? 

When  Titus  had  built  a  massive  wall  about 
Jerusalem,  precluding  all  possibility  of  escape, 
then  famine  stalked  through  the  city  with  great 
strides  and  destroyed  whole  families,  until  there 
were  none  left  to  bury  the  dead.  A  great  con¬ 
flagration  also  burst  forth  and  swept  away  the 
magnificent  temple,  and  with  it  the  hopes  of  the 
Jews.  A  general  entrance  was  soon  forced  into 

130^ 


A  Prophecy  and  a  Fulfillment 

the  doomed  city.  Carnage  was  rife.  The  sur¬ 
vivors  of  famine  and  pestilence  were  killed  or 
transported,  and  thus  was  destroyed  the  sacred 
city  in  awful  fulfillment  of  our  Lord’s  predic¬ 
tion,  “Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you 
desolate!  ”  ^ 

Josephus  states  that  over  a  million  souls  perished 
during  the  siege,  and  that  in  all  the  course  of  the 
war  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  prisoners  were 
captured  and  transported  1  Thus  thoroughly  did 
the  Roman  accomplish  the  task  ordained  of  God 
to  be  done.  Like  a  mighty  judgment  upon  the 
nation,  that  had  rejected  the  promised  Messiah, 
that  wave  of  fire  and  sword  and  consequent  pesti¬ 
lence  swept  through  the  land. 

And  where  were  the  disciples  of  Christ  ?  Did 
they  perish  with  their  countrymen  ?  No  ;  the 
omnipotent  God,  who  uses  kings  and  armies  at 
His  will,  is  able  also  to  preserve  His  elect.  Christ 
had  not  prophesied  entirely  to  deaf  ears.  His 
followers  caught  the  meaning  of  His  warnings, 
ere  it  was  too  late.  When  all  signs  pointed  to  a 
Roman  invasion,  the  little  band  of  Jerusalem  con¬ 
verts  remembered  His  words,  “  Then  let  them 
which  are  in  Judaea  flee  to  the  mountains.”  In 
the  year  66  a.  d.,  the  Christians  in  and  about 

*  Matt,  xxiii.  3S. 

131 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Jerusalem  left  their  homes  and  made  their  way  to 
those  '‘mountains,”  which  were  to  protect  them 
in  the  coming  besom  of  destruction.  How  often 
had  they  gazed  off  toward  the  northeast  to  the 
line  of  the  solid  hills  that  rose  up  beyond  the 
dividing  Jordan! 

No  doubt  they  received  plain  guidance  in  their 
flight.  They  came  to  the  little  city  of  Pella,  in 
the  eastern  hills,  off  from  the  travelled  main  road, 
which  led  from  Galilee,  through  Peraea,  to  Judaea 
and  the  south,  and  made  it  their  home  for  many 
years.  Why  this  place  escaped,  while  all  around 
it  met  destruction,  may  possibly  have  been  due  to 
the  character  of  its  inhabitants.  Perhaps  it  was 
so  predominantly  Greek  and  Roman,  that  the 
armies  could  have  found  but  little  employment. 
The  great  reason,  however,  was  the  divine  pur¬ 
pose  of  God. 

Those  were  dark  days  for  the  church  of  Christ. 
Well-nigh  universal  destruction  and  carnage  all 
about  them  ;  thundering  legions  passing  near  in 
the  valley  below  ;  the  evening  skies  reddened  by 
the  glow  of  burning  cities  ;  their  beloved  country 
laid  waste  before  them.  And  they,  a  little  band 
of  believers,  were  refugees  in  the  east-Jordan 
country.  There  these  disciples,  who  gloried  in 
the  cross  of  Christ,  were  destined  to  be  preserved, 

132 


A  Prophecy  and  a  Fulfillment 

at  a  time  when  the  proud  rejecters  of  Christianity 
were  perishing  in  their  sins. 

Such  were  the  stirring  events  which  led  up  to 
the  occupation  of  Pella  as  a  retreat  for  the  faithful 
disciples.  Is  it  surprising  that  the  three  travellers 
of  the  present  record  willingly  included  the  his¬ 
toric  city  in  the  list  of  desirable  points  ?  The  only 
cause  for  hesitancy  was  that  the  ruins  of  Pella 
are  so  snugly  hidden  away  amongst  the  eastern 
hills,  that  they  might  easily  escape  detection. 

At  eight  o’clock  the  exploring  party  were  un¬ 
der  way,  and  travelled  during  the  first  two  hours 
back  along  the  shore  of  the  lake,  whence  they 
had  come  three  days  before.  Near  the  exit  of 
the  Jordan  they  passed  the  probable  site  of 
Tarichese,  which  suffered  terribly  at  the  hands  of 
Vespasian.  Then  it  was  a  populous  city  with 
turreted  castles  and  moat  and  frowning  walls. 
Now  only  the  cattle  graze  idly  on  the  gentle  slopes, 
and  the  broad  river  sweeps  along,  as  if  to  carry 
away  on  its  tranquil  tide  all  memories  of  fierce 
encounter.  The  noble  stream  was  forded  at  the 
point  where  it  emerges  from  the  lake,  there  broad 
and  shallow, — hardly  two  feet  deep, — as  if  averse 
to  entering  between  the  narrow  banks,  which 
are  to  confine  it  along  many  a  mile  in  its  down¬ 
ward  course. 


133 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

The  eastern  plain  stretched  out  in  level  fields,  and 
the  tourists,  urged  onward  by  hope  of  reaching 
their  goal,  as  well  as  by  the  intense  heat  of  a  shel¬ 
terless  plain,  rode  straight  across  the  fields.  They 
sighted  a  number  of  beautiful  gazelles,  standing 
in  a  half-frightened,  half-inquisitive  manner, 
which,  when  pursued,  bounded  swiftly  and 
gracefully  over  the  soil  to  reach  the  shelter  of  the 
protecting  foot-hills.  Harmless  creatures  !  Lit¬ 
tle  did  they  realize  that  they  were  passing  over 
ground  once  reddened  by  the  blood  of  thousands, 
and  shaken  by  the  tread  of  armies.  They  escaped 
unharmed,  and  their  pursuers,  retracing  their 
steps,  hastened  onward  to  the  ford  of  the  Yarmuk. 
This  river  at  its  junction  with  the  deep,  swift¬ 
flowing  Jordan  is  nearly  as  wide  and  deep  as  the 
better-known  stream.  The  passage  was  not  ac¬ 
complished  without  some  danger  of  a  thorough 
wetting.  But  all  passed  over  safely  and  laughed 
heartily  at  the  episode.  Then  southward  as  the 
crow  flies,  over  fields  unploughed,  to  a  large, 
shady  tree,  where  a  rest  was  taken  for  lunch. 
After  this  they  reached  a  refreshing  little  stream, 
bordered  with  those  peculiar,  thorny  shrubs, 
which  look  inviting  enough  for  shade,  but  have 
a  most  exasperating  way  of  insisting  on  retaining 

the  unwary  one  who  accepts  their  invitation. 

134 


A  Prophecy  and  a  Fulfillment 

There  a  typical  John  the  Baptist  appeared. 
His  shaggy  locks  and  swarthy  face,  bare  limbs 
and  short  garment  bound  about  with  a  leathern 
girdle,  and  his  sudden  appearance  from  out  the 
water  of  the  little  brook,  reminded  one  of  that 
striking  figure  who  appeared  in  the  wilderness 
of  Judaea. 

At  this  stream  the  travellers  imbibed  great 
quantities  of  water, — enough,  it  might  be 
thought,  to  suffice  them  till  morning.  But  no; 
as  day  drew  to  a  close  and  no  signs  of  their 
destination  were  visible,  their  thoughts  were  de¬ 
tracted  from  the  historically  interesting  Pella  to 
the  presently  important  question  of  water.  They 
asked  goat  herds  along  the  way  as  to  the  where¬ 
abouts  of  the  village  that  marks  the  site  of  Pella. 
The  invariable  answer  was  returned,  “Only  a 
little  way  ahead.”  They  tried  one  rise  that  ap¬ 
peared  to  have  a  well-marked  path;  this  led  them 
nowhere,  and,  baffled  in  the  search,  they  retreated. 
Like  some  hidden  city  Pella  was  not  to  be  found. 

When  a  running  stream  was  reached  toward 

sunset,  the  loads  were  “put  down”  beside  the 

road  and  the  tents  were  spread.  Two  of  the  trio 

went  up  a  steep  road  leading  into  the  foot-hills 

and  followed  it  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  or  more. 

No  village  appeared,  however,  to  justify  the  im- 

135 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

pression  that  they  were  near  the  desired  spot. 
The  night  was  spent  in  camp  beside  the  road. 
The  water  was  poor,  the  thermometer  high,  the 
mosquitoes  industrious,  and  sleep  intermittent. 

In  the  morning  the  contest  was  renewed  and 
fortune  smiled.  From  early  wayfarers  it  was 
learned  that  the  conjectures  of  the  night  before 
had  been  right.  Tubakat  Fahl  (Pella)  was  only 
a  half-hour  away.  Five  minutes  more  of  riding 
would  have  taken  the  two  scouts  into  view  of 
the  village.  While  one  of  the  party  went  with 
a  muleteer  to  reconnoitre  and  to  buy  feed  for  the 
animals,  the  others  had  an  opportunity  to  witness 
a  proceeding  which  appeared  to  them  at  the  time 
as  somewhat  novel,  and  proved  in  the  sequel  to 
be  worthy  of  note.  As  they  glanced  up  a  steep 
ravine,  they  saw  a  number  of  cattle  hurried  along 
over  the  rough,  pathless  gorge,  urged  onward  by 
two  or  three  men.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
ravine,  high  up  on  the  mountain-side,  a  number 
of  armed  Bedawin  moved  along,  apparently  not 
associated  with  the  cattle-herders.  They  all 
moved  on  rapidly  out  of  sight,  and  almost  out  of 
mind. 

Later  on  the  two  foragers  returned,  bringing 

with  them  barley  for  the  horses,  good  news  for 

the  sightseers,  and — the  sheikh  of  the  village^ 

136 


A  Prophecy  and  a  Fulfillment 

who,  when  he  heard  that  the  travellers  were 
near,  went  down  to  greet  them  in  true  oriental 
fashion.  He  led  them  back  to  his  native  place 
with  manifest  pride,  and  essayed  to  play  the 
dragoman  amongst  the  ruins. 

Tubakat  Fahl  is  situated  on  a  high  hill,  looking 
much  like  a  truncated  cone.  This  may  have 
been  the  citadel  of  the  ancient  city.  Below,  in  a 
beautiful,  green  valley,  is  a  copious  spring,  or 
rather,  a  series  of  them,  bubbling  up  into  a  rip¬ 
pling  stream,  that  waters  the  broad  valley.  So 
abundant  is  the  rank  vegetation,  that  the  pros¬ 
trate  columns  strewn  about  are  quite  invisible  to 
the  casual  observer.  Here  was  Pella, — not  more 
than  a  remembrance  of  it  left  to-day;  only  a  few 
broken  columns  and  an  inscription  or  two,  built 
into  the  walls  of  the  houses  on  the  hill,  or  lying 
unused  beside  the  road. 

It  was  near  here,  on  the  rising  plateau  beyond 
the  town,  that,  many  centuries  after  the  first 
little  group  of  Christians  found  protecting  shelter, 
a  great  battle  was  fought  between  Arabs  and 
Christians,  and  eighty  thousand  of  the  latter 
were  left  dead  upon  the  field. 

The  tourist  of  the  present,  as  he  wanders  over 

the  fields  and  drinks  from  the  fountains,  excuses 

the  meagreness  of  the  existing  ruins,  because  of 

137 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

the  abundance  of  historical  memories  that  crowd 
in  upon  the  mind.  He  recalls  Pella  as  an  oasis  in 
the  great  desert  of  ruined  and  deserted  villages, 
kept  green  by  the  fountains  of  God's  providential 
care,  the  retreat  of  the  Christians  in  that  first 
century  of  conflict  and  commotion. 


138 


XIII 


THE  OAKS  OF  BASHAN 

It  would  be  a  rare  privilege  to  enjoy  the  atten¬ 
tions  of  a  mayor  as  escort  in  visiting  an  American 
city.  These  officials  as  a  rule  deem  themselves 
unqualified  for  such  service. 

Not  so,  however,  the  mayor  of  Pella!  That 
dignitary  was  quite  willing  to  suspend  the  duties 
of  his  office,  in  order  to  escort  his  three  guests 
and  their  attendants  on  their  way  toward  the 
south  country.  Quite  true,  there  was  the  pros¬ 
pect  of  a  half-UoIIar,  or  thereabouts,  and  above 
all,  the  pleasure  of  hearing  something  outside 
the  regular  round  of  conversational  topics,  worn 
into  ruts  by  the  cumbrous  passage  of  slow-going 
thoughts  in  a  village  like  Tubakat  Fahl.  The 
sheikh  was  in  a  talkative  mood,  so  that  the  trav¬ 
ellers  gained  fully  as  much  information  as  he. 

The  way  led  up  from  the  fountains  of  Pella 
through  a  deep  and  precipitous  valley,  in  whose 
walls  appeared  many  caves,  once  used  as  dwell¬ 
ings  for  the  living  or  the  dead.  The  white  lime¬ 
stone  of  this  valley  glistened  under  the  burning 

139 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

rays  of  the  sun.  The  only  breezes  that  came 
were  hot  and  dry,  and  not  at  all  refreshing  to 
parched  lips.  The  memory  of  Pella’s  cool  waters 
added  vividness  to  the  uncomfortable  reality. 
At  the  upper  end  of  the  valley  a  huge  rock  stood 
out  alone,  like  a  guarding  sentinel. 

Yet  not  so  watchful  but  that  robbery  could  be 
committed  near  by.  As  the  tourists,  sweltering 
in  the  morning  heat,  labored  past  the  giant 
guard,  down  from  an  adjoining  ravine  rushed  a 
number  of  excited  villagers.  One  was  riding, 
and  the  others  hastened  with  careless  feet  over 
the  rough,  stony  roads,  all  carrying  guns  of  an¬ 
tique  pattern,  shouting  and  gesticulating  at  the 
passers-by.  They  had  just  discovered  the  theft 
of  a  herd  of  cattle.  Ah,  those  cattle  seen  in  the 
early  morning!  The  mystery  was  explained! 
The  sheikh  of  Pella  was  eagerly  questioned, 
though  he  could  give  little  satisfaction.  The 
travellers  told  all  they  knew.  Then  onward 
again  rushed  the  villagers  in  hot  pursuit  (liter¬ 
ally)  of  the  raiders,  urged  by  a  siren  hope  that 
some  one  of  the  multitudinous  valleys  and  ra¬ 
vines  would  divulge  its  unlawful  secret.  How 
improbable  that  those  unfortunate  villagers  would 
ever  see  their  property  again ! 

For  this  was  Gilead,  the  rough,  mountainous 

140 


t 


The  Oaks  of  Bashan 


district,  where  robbers  abound, — once  the  ap¬ 
propriate  home  of  brave  warriors  and  stalwart 
huntsmen.  Elijah,  the  prophet  of  fire,  was  born 
and  bred  in  this  region,^  and  his  history  well  ac¬ 
cords  with  his  mountain  home.  He  might  easily 
take  refuge  in  some  valley,  safe  from  the  intru¬ 
sion  of  Jezebel’s  mercenaries.  And  if,  as  some 
translators  would  have  it,  the  Arabs,  and  not  the 
ravens,  fed  him,^  the  picture  might  almost  be  du¬ 
plicated  now.  Woe  to  the  king's  soldiers,  had 
they  attempted  to  find  their  way  in  that  maze  of 
valleys  without  a  guide!  Their  ranks  would 
have  been  broken  and  their  numbers  availed  little 
against  the  natural  barriers  raised  all  about  them. 
The  wild  scenery,  so  rocky  and  precipitous, 
forms  a  fitting  background  to  the  rugged  story 
of  Elijah’s  life  and  service.  Even  as  that  uncouth 
Gileadite  appeared  like  a  spectre  before  the 
wicked  King  Ahab,  to  frighten  the  conscience- 
stricken  monarch®  by  the  very  suddenness  of  his 
appearances,  so  new  scenes  of  rugged  grandeur 
burst  upon  the  view,  as  the  traveller  makes  his 
way  through  difficult  valleys  and  over  rocky 
ridges. 

The  three  tourists  followed  their  guide  up  a 
steep  path,  past  the  dusty  village  of  Kefr  Abil, 

1 1  Kings  xvii.  I.  *1  Kings  xvii.  4,  6.  ^  I  Kings  xxi.  20, 

141 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

and  down  again  into  a  beautiful,  green  valley, 
set  with  olive-trees  and  watered  by  a  clear 
stream,  which  bears  the  misnomer  of  the  '*dry 
river.”  This  name  in  Arabic,  Yabis,  is  the  exact 
equivalent  of  Jabesh,  Yabis{h),  and  since  this 
situation  accords  with  the  Bible  references,  com¬ 
petent  authorities  have  placed  in  this  vicinity  the 
site  of  Jabesh  Gilead. 

This  city  had  a  peculiar  history.  It  first  ap¬ 
pears  in  the  sacred  record  in  connection  with  the 
incident  of  Benjamin's  depopulation.^  When  Is¬ 
rael  relented  of  their  cruel  deed,  and  realized  that 
one  of  the  tribes  was  thus  blotted  out,  they 
sought  a  means  of  reparation,  and  fixed  upon 
Jabesh  Gilead  to  release  them  from  the  conse¬ 
quences  of  a  rash  vow.  Because  the  inhabitants 
of  this  place  had  not  joined  in  the  war  against 
Benjamin,  this  was  made  an  excuse  for  a  deadly 
slaughter,  and  of  all  the  inhabitants  very  few  es¬ 
caped,  other,  than  four  hundred  maidens,  who' 
were  given  as  wives  to  the  needy  Benjamites.’ 

The  record  does  not  tell  how  Jabesh  Gilead  re¬ 
covered  its  previous  state,  after  this  damaging 
blow.  Three  hundred  years  afterward  it  again 
came  into  notice  shortly  after  the  anointing  of 
Saul  by  the  Prophet  Samuel.  Nahash,  the  Am- 

*  Judges  XX.  I.  2  Judges  xxi.  8. 


142 


The  Oaks  of  Bashan 


monite  king,  had  come  up  against  the  city,^  and 
promised  to  spare  the  lives  of  the  people,  on 
condition  that  he  thrust  out  the  right  eye  of 
every  one  of  them.  They  gained  a  seven  days’ 
respite  from  the  execution  of  this  terrible  and 
disgraceful  condition,  and  sent  to  Gibeah,  Saul’s 
home.  That  worthy  was  following  the  homely 
occupation  of  a  farmer  (strange  kingly  avoca¬ 
tion!),  and,  as  he  was  driving  the  cattle  home¬ 
ward,  heard  the  unmistakable  sound  of  a  public 
wailing  in  the  village, — the  sure  token  of  some 
calamity.  With  characteristic  zeal  he  organized 
a  relief  party,  which  swelled  to  the  enormous 
number  of  three  hundred  and  thirty  thousand 
men.  The  people  of  the  besieged  town  were  in¬ 
formed  of  the  imminent  deliverance,  and  sent  a 
deceptive  answer  to  Nahash,  promising  submis¬ 
sion.  Then  the  redoubtable  host  crossed  the  Jor¬ 
dan,  fell  upon  the  Ammonites  with  great  slaughter, 
and  rescued  the  inhabitants  of  Jabesh  Gilead  from 
the  tortures  of  their  barbarous  enemies. 

The  recollection  of  these  dire  events  did  not  dis¬ 
turb  the  travellers,  as  they  sat  under  the  refresh¬ 
ing  shade  of  the  olive-trees  and  ate  their  lunch 
with  a  relish.  There  the  old  guide  turned  back, 
after  giving  instructions  to  go  straight  ahead  up 

1  I  Sam.  xi.  i. 

143 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

the  valley,  which  opened  up  before  the  tourists  in 
the  direction  of  their  desires.  After  bidding  their 
friend,  the  mayor,  a  proper  farewell  (including 
the  half  dollar)  they  ventured  boldly  forth.  The 
valley  led  upward  in  what  appeared  to  be  a 
fairly  passable  road.  Suddenly  they  came  to  the 
base  of  a  perpendicular  ledge  of  solid  rock 
absolutely  impassable.  Here  was  a  barrier  not 
included  in  the  guide’s  directions.  Nothing 
could  be  done  but  to  retrace  a  few  steps  to  a 
point  where  a  branch  path  led  up  the  mountain¬ 
side  to  the  left.  It  was  a  road  evidently  some¬ 
what  travelled,  but  one  pitied  the  unfortunates 
who  were  obliged  to  toil  up  the  steep,  rugged 
path  more  than  once.  It  consisted  largely  of 
smooth,  slippery  rocks,  dangerous  to  limb  of 
horse  and  rider.  The  animals  did  nobly. 

At  the  top  of  the  ridge  a  village  appeared, 
whence  might  be  gained  some  information  re¬ 
garding  roads.  The  occupants  of  this  village 
were  a  most  suspicious-looking  lot,  down  to  the 
very  dogs.  They  were  urgent  in  their  invitation 
to  the  travellers  to  remain  over  night.  But  their 
sinister  faces  and  overanxious  expressions  re¬ 
vealed  too  plainly  the  real  desire  for  thieving, 
awakened  by  the  sight  of  baggage  and  camp 

equipment.  It  was  only  by  dint  of  much  per- 

144 


The  Oaks  of  Bashan 


suasion  that  a  young  fellow  could  be  engaged  to 
guide  the  party  away  from  this  malevolent  com¬ 
munity  to  the  desired  destination. 

He  knew  his  business  well,  conducting  his 
followers  over  a  path  far  from  smooth  and  level, 
but  leading  through  a  most  interesting  section  of 
country.  For  this  is  the  great  forest  land  of 
Syria.  Here  are  the  *‘oaks  of  Bashan,"  men¬ 
tioned  by  the  prophets.^  To  one  born  and  bred 
in  forest-clad  America  it  may  seem  strange  to 
single  out  an  oak-forest  as  a  special  theme  for 
reflection.  But  ask  the  average  Syrian  where  the 
woodlands  are  situated,  and  he  may  point  to 
some  clump  of  small  firs  or  scrub-oaks,  that 
would  be  unworthy  of  mention  in  the  home¬ 
land.  Even  the  famous  “cedars  of  Lebanon" 
are  now  but  an  insignificant  dot  upon  the  bare 
mountain-side.  Green  hills  and  waving  tree- 
tops  are  not  now  characteristic  of  the  Holy 
Land,  and  the  long  stretches  of  brown,  barren 
mountains  are  almost  invariably  a  disappointment 
to  the  casual  tourist. 

Not  so,  however,  the  “oaks  of  Bashan." 
Gilead  is  forest-clad  in  all  its  length  and  breadth. 
The  travellers  were  privileged  to  enjoy  a  sight 
not  soon  to  be  forgotten.  Their  guide  led  them 

*  Isa.  ii.  13;  Ezek.  xxvii.  6;  Zech.  xi.  2. 

145 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

by  a  narrow,  crooked  path  through  the  wildest 
forest  land  to  be  found  in  all  the  country.  The 
oaks  were  large  and  leafy,  and  their  boughs  at 
times  almost  intercepted  the  progress  of  the 
delighted  tourists.  Sometimes  the  path  took 
them  up  steep  hillsides,  sometimes  along  beauti¬ 
ful,  green  valleys.  Partridges  abounded,  but  the 
dense  woods  were  their  protectors.  Then,  too, 
clouds  had  formed  in  the  skies,  and  the  burning 
heat  of  the  morning  had  given  way  to  acceptably 
cool  shadows. 

What  a  grand  place  for  a  picnic  in  these  east¬ 
ern  woods!  Not  alone  would  the  scenery  please, 
but  also  many  Biblical  characters  might  in  im¬ 
agination  join  the  group.  For  the  land  of  Gilead 
is  the  scene  of  much  Bible  history.  Nineteenth 
century  Sunday-school  scholars  might  open  their 
Bibles  under  the  trees,  and  call  up  many  a  hero, 
whose  reality  had  been  dimmed  by  distance. 
Nor  would  the  teachers  object  to  a  view  of  the 
Biblical  panorama. 

First  come  the  Midianite  cameleers,  who 
bought  Joseph  from  his  brethren,  sold  him  to  a 
high  officer  in  Egypt,  then  returned  to  Gilead  to 
load  their  camels  once  more  with  "‘spicery  and 
balm  and  myrrh."  ^  What  questions  would  not 

*  Gen.  xxxvii,  2t:, 

146 


ARAB  WOMAN  AND  CHILD  EASTERN  EMBRACE 


The  Oaks  of  Bashan 


Yankee  curiosity  contrive  to  ask  them  regarding 
the  particulars  of.  the  lying  deceit,  whereby 
Joseph  was  taken  down  to  Egypt! 

The  panorama  moves  on  to  the  time  of  the 
Judges.  Behold  a  maiden  wandering  upon  the 
mountain-tops  amongst  these  wooded  hills,  clad 
in  mourning  robes,  in  evident  grief  and  sorrow 
for  some  impending  event.  It  is  the  daughter  of 
Jephthah,  the  Gileadite.^  He  had  driven  the 
Ammonites  from  the  land,  and  had  vowed  to 
sacrifice  as  a  burnt-offering  that  which  should 
first  come  forth  from  the  door  of  his  house  upon 
his  safe  return.  When  his  daughter,  his  only 
child,  met  him  with  timbrel  and  dance,  his  joy 
was  turned  to  grief,  as  he  saw  the  terrible  out¬ 
come  of  his  rash  vow.®  ‘‘Alas,  my  daughter! 
thou  hast  brought  me  very  low.”  Jephthah 
realized  his  misfortune  in  all  its  severity.  Not 
only  must  he  sacrifice  his  only  child,  but  he 
thereby  brought  ignominious  disgrace  upon  him¬ 
self  for  dying  without  posterity.  To  this  day  the 
perpetuity  of  an  oriental  family  holds  supreme 

1  Judges  xi.  I. 

3  While  the  theory  of  perpetual  virginity  has  been  offered  by 
some  eminent  authorities  in  explanation  of  this  difficult  episode, 
yet  their  conclusions,  however  much  to  be  desired,  seem  not 
sufficiently  to  accord  with  the  Biblical  statements  and  the  exist¬ 
ing  primitive  conceptions  of  ethics  and  religion, 

147 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

place  in  the  plans  of  its  members.  The  memory 
of  Jephthah’s  glorious  victories  could  not  atone 
for  the  ignominy  of  a  house  blotted  out.  Hence 
his  daughter,  not  questioning  the  propriety  of  the 
sacrifice,  begged  merely  that  it  be  postponed  two 
months,  that  she  might  lament  with  her  friends 
the  doom  of  her  father’s  house.  Her  fate,  con¬ 
nected  with  the  disgrace  to  Jephthah’s  memory, 
Tennyson  has  immortalized  in  verse  in 
Dream  of  Fair  Women,”  writing 

of  her  that  died 
To  save  her  father’s  vow. 

My  words  leapt  forth :  <  Heaven  heads  the  count  of 
crimes 

With  that  wild  oath.’  She  render’d  answer  high ; 

<  Not  so,  nor  once  alone ;  a  thousand  times 
I  would  be  born  and  die. 

My  God,  my  land,  my  father — these  did  move 
Me  from  my  bliss  of  life,  that  Nature  gave, 

Lower’d  softly  with  a  threefold  cord  of  love 
Down  to  a  silent  grave. 

And  I  went  mourning,  “  No  fair  Hebrew  boy 
Shall  smile  away  my  maiden  blame  among 
The  Hebrew  mothers  ” — emptied  of  all  joy, 

Leaving  the  dance  and  song. 

Leaving  the  olive-gardens  far  below. 

Leaving  the  promise  of  my  bridal-bower, 

The  valleys  of  grape-loaded  vines  that  glow 
Beneath  the  battled  tower.’  ” 


How  beautiful  a  thing  it  was  to  die 
For  God  and  for  my  sire  !  ” 

148 


The  Oaks  of  Bashan 


Again  the  panorama  rolls  upon  the  scroll  of 
time,  and  those  woods  resound  with  the  din  of 
battle.'  Absalom,  the  usurper  of  David’s  throne 
in  Jerusalem,  has  pursued  his  aged  parent  beyond 
the  Jordan  into  the  wooded  slopes  of  Gilead. 
David  is  a  fugitive  before  the  face  of  his  favorite 
son!  How  sad  is  this  page  of  the  sacred  his¬ 
tory!  Absalom’s  conspiracy  had  ripened,  until 
his  father  had  been  obliged  to  flee  from  the  holy 
city  beyond  the  river,  and  there  await  the  attack 
of  his  treacherous  son.  He  had  chosen  his 
ground  well.  The  entangled  valleys  and  steep 
hillsides  of  Gilead,  all  covered  with  forest  trees, 
were  no  place  for  the  maneuvres  of  an  army. 
David’s  tried  and  loyal  bodyguard  of  six  hundred 
chosen  men  were  with  him,’  and  thousands  of  the 
Gileadites  fought  for  him,  because  they  loved 
their  king.  He  had  many  friends,  who  supplied 
the  needs  of  him  and  his  faithful  followers. 

David  himself,  at  the  entreaty  of  his  friends, 
remained  in  the  city  of  Mahanaim,  to  await 
tidings  of  the  battle.  How  did  his  paternal 
love  shine  forth!  Confident  in  God’s  protecting 
power,  his  one  thought  was  for  his  wayward 
son.  “Deal  gently  for  my  sake  with  the  young 
man,  even  with  Absalom.”® 

•  2  Sam,  XV.,  etc,  ’  2  Sam.  xv.  18.  *  2  Sam,  xviii.  5 

149 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

The  battle  raged  throughout  all  the  forest,  over 
hill  and  dale.  The  hosts  of  Absalom  were  over¬ 
thrown  in  their  unequal  contest  against  skill  and 
nature  combined.  Twenty  thousand  men  per¬ 
ished,  most  of  them  destroyed  in  the  wild  de¬ 
files  of  the  mountain.  “And  the  wood  devoured 
more  people  that  day  than  the  sword  devoured.”^ 
Absalom  became  separated  from  his  men  and 
was  obliged  to  flee  precipitately.  His  abundant 
hair,*  which  had  been  his  pride,  became  the  cause 
of  his  destruction.  In  his  wild  flight  through 
the  woods  his  mule  became  unmanageable  and 
dashed  under  a  low-hanging  bough.  Absalom 
was  left  suspended,  and  entirely  at  the  mercy  of 
his  enemies.  A  common  soldier,  coming  upon 
him,  respected  the  wish  of  David,  and  spared 
the  life  of  the  wretched  son.  He  told  Joab  of 
the  prince’s  plight,  but  was  rebuked  by  him  for 
thus  dealing  leniently  with  the  king’s  greatest 
enemy.  Joab  himself  hastened  forward  and 
killed  Absalom  in  mid-air.  The  dead  body  was 
cut  down  and  cast  into  a  pit,  and  over  it  was 
raised  a  heap  of  stones,  as  a  special  mark  of 
execration. 

Far  different  was  this  mean  grave  in  the  hidden 
forests  of  Gilead  from  the  magnificent  monu- 

1 2  Sam,  xviii,  8.  ^2  Sam.  xiv,  26. 

150 


The  Oaks  of  Bashan 

ment  which  Absalom  had  erected  for  himself  in 
the  “  king’s  dale.”^  Thus  perished  the  beautiful 
son  of  David,  beloved  of  his  father  even  in  the 
hour  of  rebellion. 

But  how  was  Joab  to  inform  David  of  his 
son’s  death  ?  He  seemed  to  realize  that  he  had 
acted  under  misguided  zeal.  When  Ahimaaz,  a 
young  and  special  friend  of  the  king,  offered  to 
bear  the  tidings  of  victory,  Joab  restrained  him, 
and  told  a  Cushite  soldier^  to  run  and  tell  what 
he  had  seen.  After  this  man  had  started,  Ahi¬ 
maaz  again  entreated  joab  to  let  him  go.  He 
evidently  knew  the  country  better  than  the  other, 
for  he  chose  a  better  road  and  outran  the  other. 
Breathless  from  the  violent  pace,  he  entered  the 
king’s  presence  and  announced  a  glorious  vic¬ 
tory.  David’s  mind  was  still  preoccupied  with 
thoughts  of  his  son.  “  Is  the  young  man  Absa¬ 
lom  safe?”  The  reply  was  characteristic  of  all 
such  tidings  even  to  this  very  time.  It  was 
deemed  better  to  conceal  the  disaster  with  a 
half-truth,  rather  than  to  proclaim  the  real  case. 
Many  a  falsehood  is  told  in  such  circumstances, 
so  that  it  is  impossible  to  rely  upon  any  message 
of  safety  and  health.  Ahimaaz  thought  to  spare 
the  feelings  of  his  royal  friend,  and  replied  that 

1 2  Sam.  xviii.  l8.  *2  Sam.  xviii.  2l» 

151 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

he  had  seen  a  great  tumult,  but  had  not  compre¬ 
hended  its  meaning. 

The  next  messenger,  however,  bluntly  replied 
to  the  same  tender,  eager  inquiry,  ''The  enemies 
of  my  lord  the  king,  and  all  that  rise  against 
thee  to  do  thee  hurt,  be  as  that  young  man  is."^ 

Then  the  anxious  father  realized  the  truth  of 
his  son's  destruction,  and  his  heart  overflowed  in 
pathetic  utterance.  Where  in  all  history  can  be 
found  a  more  touching  scene,  and  where  its  de¬ 
scription  in  more  beautiful  language: 

"And  the  king  was  much  moved,  and  went  up 
to  the  chamber  over  the  gate  and  wept:  and  as 
he  went,  thus  he  said,  O  my  son  Absalom,  my 
son,  my  son  Absalom!  would  God  1  had  died  for 
thee,  O  Absalom,  my  son,  my  son  I" 

1 2  Sam.  xviii.  32. 


XIV 


CAMP  AND  CASTLE 

Experiences  in  new  and  untried  mountain  roads 
are  not  the  least  of  the  traveller’s  delights.  All  is 
fresh;  nothing  palls;  the  unexpected  prevails. 
Each  valley  offers  an  ever-changing  vista  of  scenic 
surprises.  Each  hilltop  is  a  Pisgah  of  opportu¬ 
nity.  Toward  the  end  of  the  day’s  ride  the  im¬ 
agination  outstrips  the  deliberate  pace  of  the 
animals  and  in  hope  reaches  the  appointed  camp¬ 
ing-place  long  before  the  time.  Now  and  again 
it  determines  upon  the  spot, — surely  just  over 
the  next  hill,  or  around  the  bend  in  the  road. 
Many  are  the  mild  disappointments.  Then,  in  a 
moment  of  good-natured  despair,  the  camp  ap¬ 
pears,  after  all  quite  to  the  surprise  of  the 
tourist. 

The  forest-clad  hills  of  ’Ajlun  afforded  ample 
opportunity  to  the  three  travellers  for  indulgence 
in  these  varying  sensations.  The  winding  roads 
through  the  valleys  were  little  paradises  of  green¬ 
ery,  and  from  time  to  time,  as  the  hilltops  were 
reached,  there  came  momentary  glimpses  of  a 

153 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

rugged  castle,  half  revealed  through  the  interven¬ 
ing  trees. 

The  destination  of  the  sightseers  was  the  town 
of  'Ajlun  (named  after  the  district),  but  its  exact 
location  no  one  knew.  At  last  they  emerged 
from  the  dense  forest  of  Gilead  to  a  height, 
where  a  grand  view  was  obtained.  They  stood 
on  the  brink  of  a  great  valley,  which  stretched 
far  off  to  the  southwest,  and  in  the  opposite  di¬ 
rection  broke  into  two  forking  valleys, — all  cov¬ 
ered  with  oaks  and  pines  and  olives.  To  the 
right  hand  rose  the  sentinel  castle,  now  close  by 
and  standing  out  against  the  clear,  blue  sky.  At 
their  feet,  deep  down  in  the  beautiful  valley, 
nestled  the  little  village,  where  the  camp  was  to 
be  pitched  for  the  night. 

The  travellers  paused  at  this  favored  view¬ 
point  to  drink  in  the  scene  of  mingled  charm, 
beauty  and  sublimity.  Then  they  followed  the 
rapidly-descending  path  to  an  ideal  camping- 
place.  In  the  Christian  quarter  of  the  village, 
above  the  part  occupied  by  the  Moslems,  a  place 
was  found  for  the  tents  amidst  a  number  of  noble 
olives,  whose  immense,  gnarled  trunks  indicated 
great  age.  This  spot,  in  its  unadorned  natural 
beauty,  proved  to  be  the  choicest  camping-place 

of  the  trip.  What  is  more  satisfying,  more  re- 

154 


A  t'KlisAI>l^l<’S  (  AS'ri.K 


Camp  and  Castle 

poseful,  than  the  protecting  shelter  of  a  grove  of 
olive-trees!  The  olive  is  the  king  (and  queen)  of 
Syrian  trees; — king,  by  right  of  inherent  strength 
and  venerable  age;  queen,  by  reason  of  those 
gentler  qualities  of  delicate  refinement  manifest 
in  form  and  color.  Mrs.  Hemans  in  her  apos¬ 
trophe  to  “The  Olive”  has  beautified  this 
thought  with  a  woman’s  poetic  touch  in  the  line, 

“  One  shiver  of  thy  leaves’  dim  silvery  green,”— 

and  again, 

“  But  thou,  pale  Olive  !  in  thy  branches  lie 
Far  deeper  spells  than  prophet  grave  of  old 
Might  e’er  enshrine.” 

An  olive  branch,  borne  by  a  gentle  dove,  was 
once  the  messenger  of  peace  on  earth, — of  wrath 
averted.  The  olives  of  Gethsemane,  chosen,  it 
might  be,  for  their  strength  and  sympathetic  en¬ 
couragement,  were  the  witnesses  of  the  severest 
struggle  ever  known.  Is  it  strange  that  these 
trees  have  a  peculiar  hold  upon  the  affection  of 
the  people  ? 

The  advent  of  the  tourists  was  the  signal  for  a 

gathering  of  the  villagers,  who  were  not  so  much 

accustomed  to  tents  and  camps  as  to  neglect  the 

opportunity  for  a  sight  of  them.  One  young 

man,  who  knew  how  to  read,  and  exhibited  a 

pleasing  degree  of  politeness,  became  general 

155 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

purveyor  to  the  party.  He  brought  delicious 
milk  and  honey,  and  a  bowl  of  leben,  like  that 
which  Jael  presented  to  Sisera  in  her  tent.^ 
(This  word  is  often  blindly  translated  as 
^‘milk."*) 

Water  was  brought  in  common  pottery  jars, 
such  as  have  been  used  since  the  time  of  the 
Patriarchs.  Solomon  speaks  of  the  “pitcher 
broken  at  the  fountain."^  Many  a  tearful  maiden 
has  returned  to  her  house  empty-handed,  because 
the  “pitcher  "  has  been  “ broken  at  the  fountain." 
No  such  misfortune  befell  the  fair  damsel  who 
supplied  the  needs  of  the  thirsty  travellers.  She 
had  not  far  to  go,  and  the  water  was  abundant. 
How  truly  oriental  was  that  picture  !  A  bright¬ 
eyed,  clear-complexioned  girl,  with  straight 
and  well-formed  figure,  moving  easily  under  the 
heavy  weight  of  a  large  jar  full  of  water,  weighing 
nearly  fifty  pounds,  and  carried  on  the  shoulder 
or  the  head,  as  it  pleased  the  bearer.  She  was 
dressed  in  the  Bedawy  costume,  adopted  by  the 
women  of  the  district,  with  bare  arms,  and  the 
loose  sleeves  caught  together  at  the  back.  No 
cosmetics  were  needed  to  bring  a  rosy  color  to 

>  Judges  iv.  19.  , 

3  Ex.  iii.  8;  Num.  xiii.  27;  Jer.  xi.  5,  etc, 

3  Eccl.  xii.  6. 


156 


Camp  and  Castle 

those  cheeks  I  The  exercise  had  done  that. 
These  oriental  maidens  know  the  drudgery  of 
hard  work  and  the  comfort  of  excellent  health. 
The  carrying  of  the  water  is  almost  invariably  a 
part  of  woman's  work  in  this  land.  For  this 
reason,  when  our  Lord  gave  directions  to  His 
disciples  as  to  how  they  should  find  the  house 
where  the  Passover  was  to  be  eaten,  He  said, 
**  Go  ye  into  the  city  ;  and  there  shall  meet  you  a 
man  bearing  a  pitcher  of  water :  follow  him."^ 
That  man,  carrying  a  jar  of  water  on  his  shoulder, 
was  a  marked  man,  even  in  the  motley  crowd 
which  thronged  Jerusalem  at  the  great  feast.  He 
was  doing  woman's  work. 

An  interesting  Biblical  courtship  was  forwarded 
by  means  of  a  pottery  water  jar.^  Isaac  must 
needs  have  a  wife  from  among  his  own  kindred 
in  far-away  Haran,  and  a  trusted  servant  was 
despatched  to  make  the  proposal  (by  proxy). 
One  is  reminded  of  the  stereotyped  phrase  in  the 
“Court  and  Personal"  of  the  London  Times, — 
“  A  marriage  has  been  arranged  and  will  shortly 
take  place  between,  etc.,  etc."  In  this  instance 
the  high  contracting  parties  did  not  figure  in 
drawing-room  gossip.  One  was  the  son  of  a 
desert  shiekh,  and  the  other  a  maiden,  who  took 

»  Mark  xiv.  13.  *  Gen.  xxiv.  14-67. 


167 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

her  place  daily  in  the  line  of  women,  who  ''at 
the  time  of  the  evening  went  out  to  draw  water.” ' 
Rebekah  had  done  this,  doubtless,  many  times 
before.  One  evening  she  found  a  stranger  at  the 
well,  with  ten  camels  in  his  train.  She  came, 
bearing  "her  pitcher  upon  her  shoulder,”  "and 
she  went  down  to  the  well  ”  (probably  excavated 
below  the  surface  of  the  surrounding  land),  "  and 
filled  her  pitcher,  and  came  up.”  She  swung  the 
heavy  jar  up  to  its  place  on  her  shoulder,  and 
would  have  returned  home,  had  not  the  stranger 
requested  a  drink.  "And  she  said.  Drink,  my 
lord:  and  she  hasted,  and  let  down  her  pitcher 
upon  her  hand,  and  gave  him  a  drink.” 

True  to  life  is  this  scene  I  Not  a  line  need  be 
changed.  One  foot  is  slightly  raised  from  the 
ground,  and  the  jar  is  lowered  to  the  bended  knee. 
It  is  there  steadied  with  one  hand  under  it  and 
the  other  grasping  one  of  the  small  handles,  and 
by  a  dextrous  motion  the  outstretched  palms  of 
the  thirsty  servant  are  filled,  and  he  sips  the  re¬ 
freshing  water. 

A  pottery  water  jar  might  be  considered  at  the 
farthest  remove  from  romance.  But  Cupid  is  a 
blind  little  archer.  His  shafts  often  take  erratic 
flights. 


*  Gen.  xxiv.  il. 
158 


Camp  and  Castle 

After  the  sun  had  set,  the  tourists  sat  about  the 
camp  table,  eating  an  appetizing  supper,  and  not 
at  all  embarrassed  by  the  assembled  villagers, 
who  whispered  their  comments  on  the  scene. 
The  flickering  candles  lit  up  the  surrounding 
gloom  in  wierd  fashion.  Bending  boughs  and 
knotted  trunks  appeared  like  spectres  in  the  semi¬ 
darkness,  while  the  interested  onlookers,  of 
whom  the  travellers  could  discern  but  the  front 
row  distinctly,  brought  to  mind  the  face  of  the 
Cheshire  cat  in  '‘Alice in  Wonderland.” 

The  first  watch  of  the  night  fell  to  the  “other¬ 
wise  man.”  As  he  paced  back  and  forth  among 
the  olives,  he  had  ample  opportunity  to  reflect 
upon  the  history,  sacred  and  secular,  which  is 
connected  with  this  district,  and  more  especially 
the  romantic  record  of  the  deadly  struggle  be¬ 
tween  Crusader  and  Saracen.  His  thoughts 
turned  to  the  castle  up  on  the  neighboring  hill, 
ruined  now  and  invisible  in  the  black  darkness  of 
a  cloudy  night.  Would  that  this  stronghold  of 
Christianity  might  divulge  its  secrets! 

The  day  dawned,  and  the  travellers  prepared  to 

visit  the  castle  of  Rubud.  They  engaged  the 

services  of  a  lithe  and  long-limbed  guide,  whose 

rapid  pace  up  from  the  town  of  'Ajlun  did  not 

interfere  with  his  conversational  powers.  Al- 

159 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

though  the  massive,  ruined  pile  had  seemed  near 
enough  to  the  party,  as  they  gazed  at  it  leisurely 
from  the  tents,  the  ascent  was  long  and  required 
nearly  an  hour.  But  once  arrived,  all  effort  was 
amply  repaid.  Could  a  grander  site  have  been 
found  for  this  castle  than  the  summit  of  the  noble 
peak,  which  towers  above  all  its  surroundings  ! 
The  Crusaders  realized  the  strategic  value  of  this 
lofty  eminence,  and  built  upon  it  one  of  their  most 
imposing  structures. 

From  this  point  they  could  send  the  gleam  of  the 
nightly  signal  fires  far  across  the  country  to  the 
fortress  of  Belvoir  to  Tiberias,  and  further  north 
to  Safed  and  other  points.  By  day  they  could 
scan  the  surrounding  country  and  quickly  discern 
the  approach  of  a  band  or  army,  be  they  friend 
or  foe,  advancing  from  any  direction.  Thus 
they  could  gain  time  to  prepare  for  siege. 

Perhaps  these  stern  warriors  had  no  inclination 
to  enjoy  the  beauties  of  ^nature.  But  there  was 
a  panorama  spread  before  them  almost  unequalled 
in  extent  and  grandeur.  At  their  feet  lay  the 
beautiful,  green  valley,  with  its  stream  of  glis¬ 
tening  water,  here  and  there  a  village  peering  out 
from  amidst  a  bower  of  green  trees.  All  about 
were  the  grand  forests  of  Gilead,  rustling  in 

the  gentle  breeze,  or  bending  to  the  raging  storms. 

160 


Camp  and  Castle 

To  the  north  rose  mighty  Hermon,  far,  far  away, 
only  a  white  outline  against  the  blue  sky.  Nearer 
by  shimmered  the  sea  of  Galilee,  and  the  Jordan 
revealed  itself  in  its  winding  way.  All  the  west¬ 
ern  hills  and  mountains  appeared,  and  Moab  to 
the  south,  and  even  the  Dead  Sea  could  be  seen 
spreading  over  the  southern  plain. 

All  these  magnificent  views  remain  unchanged; 
but  the  castle  has  succumbed  to  the  ravages  of 
time,  and  tells  a  tale  of  vanished  greatness.  Yet 
notwithstanding  decay  and  fallen  walls,  it  well 
repays  a  visit.  The  whole  structure  is  sur¬ 
rounded  by  a  deep,  wide  moat,  cut  out  of  the 
living  rock.  The  one-time  drawbridge,  by 
which  the  great  doorway  of  the  castle  was  once 
approached,  is  no  longer  in  existence,  but 
grooved  stones  above  the  doorway  mark  its 
former  place  and  way  of  operation.  Now  a  rude 
bridge  of  stones  affords  means  of  entrance  to 
shepherds  and  chance  visitors.  In  one  recess  of 
the  walls,  inside  the  moat,  a  great  cistern  was 
built,  and  the  water  from  the  roofs  of  the  castle 
was  conducted  into  this,  so  that  the  occupants  of 
the  fortress  might  sustain  a  long  siege. 

The  vast  building  was  wonderfully  well 
adapted  to  its  purpose.  It  was  not  merely  a  sin¬ 
gle  castle,  but  a  series  of  castles  within  castles. 

161 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

A  powerful  enemy  might  withstand  the  flights  of 
deadly  arrows  from  the  slotted  walls;  might 
throw  up  a  temporary  bridge  across  the  moat; 
might  storm  the  castle  and  capture  the  entrance; 
and  what  would  they  find  ?  A  blank  wall  of 
immense  thickness  and  a  second  doorway  and 
portcullis  even  stronger  than  the  first.  This,  too, 
might  yield,  and  a  third  one  would  bar  further 
progress.  The  whole  structure  is  a  network  of 
intricate  passages,  and  the  massive  walls  and 
towers  show  the  resisting  power  of  a  beleaguered 
guard. 

One  wonders,  as  he  stands  amidst  the  ruins, 
what  power  could  cope  with,  much  less  over¬ 
come,  a  force  stationed  within  those  bulwarks. 
Nevertheless  the  Saracen  conquered  the  Crusader 
and  drove  him  from  the  land.  What  must  have 
been  the  emotions  of  the  besieged  Franks,  as  they 
beheld  their  swarthy  foemen  advance  step  by 
step,  taking  first  the  outworks,  then  the  bridge, 
and  one  by  one  the  labyrinth  of  passages,  which 
led  to  the  keep,  the  last  stronghold  of  the  castle! 
With  what  a  shout  of  triumph  would  the  Moslem 
hordes  dash  into  that  final  refuge,  there  to  meet 
and  massacre  the  remnant  of  the  brave  band  of 
Christian  defenders! 

Rubud  castle,  with  many  other  fortresses  in 

162 


Camp  and  Castle 

the  land,  marks  the  era  when  Christianity  tried 
by  might  to  regain  the  sacred  places  of  the  Holy 
Land.  Does  not  history  prove  the  futility  of 
their  efforts  ?  They  attempted  by  military  prow¬ 
ess  to  gain  a  land.  Did  not  the  three  mission¬ 
aries,  as  they  stood  above  the  ruined  monument 
of  man’s  misguided  endeavor,  represent 
forces, — schools  and  hospitals  and  evangelical 
churches, — which  shall  some  day  gain  a  people, 
and  thus  conquer  gloriously  in  a  conflict  which 
could  not  be  settled  by  force  of  arms  ?  The  Mo¬ 
hammedans  have  no  weapons  which  will  avail  in 
this  new  warfare.  They  are  now  the  belea¬ 
guered  ones  and  already  the  portcullis  has  been 
surrendered.  The  fortress  must  fall  ere  long. 

The  travellers  descended  from  their  lofty  view¬ 
point  and  made  their  way  back  to  the  olive 
grove.  The  camp  was  ready  to  move,  and  the 
party  set  out  on  the  eastern  road. 


163 


XV 


-r 


A  HALT  AT  MIZPAH 

The  morning  was  well  advanced,  when  the 
travellers  left  'Ajlun,  after  the  visit  to  the  castle. 
Their  way  led  through  delightful  territory.  A 
little  out  of  ’Ajlun  they  passed  Ain  Jenneh, — a 
paradise  of  huge  walnut-trees,  which  formed 
a  shady  bower  above  copious  springs  of  pure 
water.  Thence  they  passed  along  gently  rising 
ground,  in  a  cool  valley  bounded  by  forests, 
where  fallen  leaves  and  moss-covered  logs  in¬ 
vited  them  to  rest.  Out  of  the  valley  they  passed 
on  to  the  summit  of  a  high  ridge,  whence  a 
grand  view  met  their  eyes.  They  could  see  far 
away  into  the  desert  and  northeast  toward  the 
Druze  mountains. 

Traces  of  the  old  Roman  thoroughfare  ap¬ 
peared,  beside  the  modern  path.  Now  impass¬ 
able,  it  was  once  a  great  highway  to  Gerasa  and 
the  east.  At  the  eastern  foot  of  the  ridge  the 
riders  passed  under  a  telegraph  line  with  some¬ 
thing  of  the  feelings  of  escaping  prisoners.  It 

seemed  to  mark  the  boundary  between  the  land 

164 


A  Halt  at  Mizpah 

of  governmental  restraint  and  the  wilderness  of 
freedom. 

After  another  half  hour  they  came  to  the 
squalid  and  ill-favored  town  of  Suf,  where  more 
than  one  traveller  has  endured  inconvenience  and 
insult  at  the  hands  of  the  lawless  inhabitants. 
The  village  is  situated  high  up  on  a  commanding 
site,  though  many  of  the  people  live  in  caves  in 
the  hillside.  The  place  was  wretchedly  dirty; 
poverty  was  prevalent;  the  cattle  were  relics  of 
the  “  seven  years  of  want.”  This  unsavory  place 
was  passed  in  safety,  and  the  travellers  halted 
just  beyond,  in  full  view  of  the  town  and  its 
surroundings.  The  lunch  boxes  were  opened 
under  some  convenient  olive-trees. 

Here,  too,  is  a  favorable  spot  to  study  a  page 
of  patriarchal  history.  For  the  town  of  Suf,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  prevailing  opinion  among  modern 
explorers  and  archaeologists,  marks  the  site  of 
Mizpah.  If  this  conjecture  be  true  (and  it  is  not 
the  province  of  this  little  book  to  be  a  judge), 
then  the  tourists  were  indeed  treading  historic 
ground.  In  the  earlier  Old  Testament  history  the 
name  of  Mizpah  calls  up  the  record  of  Jacob’s 
life,  than  which  there  is  none  more  interesting 
among  the  early  Bible  characters. 

Mizpah,  or  Mizpeh,  gives  the  meaning  of 

165 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

“beacon,”  or  “watch-tower,”  and  was  the 
meeting-place  between  Jacob  and  his  father-in- 
law,  Laban.  Jacob  had  served  him  for  twenty 
years,  and  finally  desired  to  leave  the  avaricious, 
unprincipled  farmer.^  Laban  refused  to  give 
consent,  hence  Jacob  was  obliged  to  use  his 
wits.  He  called  his  wives,^  Leah  and  Rachel, 
away  from  their  father’s  tent  to  the  place  where 
he  was  keeping  his  flocks,  distant  three  days’ 
journey.  Rachel  took  with  her  her  father’s 
household  gods, — the  penates, — but  secretly. 
Then  Jacob  hurriedly  packed  up  his  goods, 
started  his  flocks  and  herds  toward  the  Eu¬ 
phrates,  and  “stole  away  unawares  to  Laban 
the  Syrian.”  Laban,  who  had  been  away  shear¬ 
ing  his  sheep,  did  not  hear  of  Jacob’s  defection, 
until  three  days  had  passed.  Realizing  that  his 
recent  good  fortune  had  been  due  to  Jacob’s 
presence,  he  hastily  organized  a  posse  and  pur¬ 
sued  after  him.  Although  Jacob  had  a  start  of 
three  days,  his  progress  was  retarded  by  the 
sheep  and  cattle.  Laban  overtook  him  after 
seven  days  in  “the  mount  of  Gilead.” 

There  he  attempted  to  upbraid  his  more  honor¬ 
able  son-in-law.  He  mingled  reproaches  for  the 
secret  departure  with  hints  of  illegal  abduction 

*  Gen.  XXX.  25.  ^  Gen.  xxxi.  4. 


166 


A  Halt  at  Mizpah 

and  tender  utterances  of  parental  affection.  He 
asserted  that  he  would  like  to  have  sent  him 
away  with  music  and  mirth.  But  the  crushing 
accusation  was  reserved  till  the  end  of  the  pas¬ 
sionate,  dramatic  outburst.  With  biting  sarcasm 
he  flung  the  question  at  Jacob,  “Wherefore  hast 
thou  stolen  my  gods  ?  "  Search  was  made,  but 
the  teraphim  were  not  found.*  Thereupon  Jacob 
in  his  turn  rose  to  the  heights  of  oratory.  Con¬ 
scious  of  his  innocence,  he  recounted  his  harsh 
treatment,  and  his  own  faithful  service.  For 
twenty  years  he  had  endured  the  heat  of  day  and 
frost  of  night;  sleep  had  been  denied  him;  his 
had  been  the  responsibility  for  every  untoward 
accident  to  flock  or  herd ;  he  had  served  fourteen 
years  for  his  wives  and  six  for  his  possessions; 
and  his  wages  had  been  changed  ten  times. 

Truly  oriental  is  this  scene!  It  may  be  dupli¬ 
cated  at  any  time  and  in  any  place.  Doubtless 
the  conference  began  in  mild  tones,  then  in¬ 
creased  in  vehemence  of  speech  and  gesture, 
until  at  the  culminating  point  the  two  main  actors 
were  face  to  face  and  vigorously  gesticulating, 
while  their  retainers  had  gathered  about  them  in 
wordy  sympathy. 

Laban  was  defeated  in  the  oratorical  contest, — 

*  Gen.  xxxi.  34,  35. 

167 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

requiring  only  a  pledge  of  future  good-treatment 
to  his  daughters.  He  also  extracted  a  promise 
that  there  should  be  no  war  between  the  two. 
Laban  seemed  to  surmise  Jacob’s  future  great¬ 
ness,  and  feared  lest  his  son-in-law  should  march 
against  him  and  take  vengeance  for  ill-treatment 
during  the  days  of  menial  service.  He  proposed 
a  covenant,  to  which  Jacob  readily  agreed.  A 
rough  heap  of  stones  was  thrown  up  on  some 
high  point  and  given  the  name  of  Mizpah.  “  For 
he  said.  The  -  Lord  watch  between  me  and 
thee,  when  we  are  absent  one  from  another.”' 
Each  one  was  thus  “bound  over  to  keep  the 
peace.”  Early  on  the  following  morning  Laban 
arose,  kissed  his  daughters  and  their  children, 
blessed  the  whole  company,  and  departed  to  his 
far-away  home. 

[Now  it  is  by  a  remarkable  liberty  in  the  use  of 
Bible  texts  that  the  words  of  this  covenant  have 
been  made  a  familiar  and  much-loved  watch¬ 
word  in  Christian  societies  and  gatherings.  But 
the  words  (beautiful  and  appropriate  in  them¬ 
selves)  have  doubtless  been  dissociated  from  their 
exegetical  connections  and  made  to  serve  a  nobler 
purpose.] 

When  Jacob  had  concluded  this  prudent  ar- 

1  Gen.  xxxi.  49. 

168 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

the  land  of  Edom  had  become  wealthy  and 
powerful.  Years  had  elapsed  since  the  unlawful 
taking  of  the  parental  blessing,  and  no  intima¬ 
tion  of  reconciliation  had  ever  come  from  the 
wild  hunter.  Jacob  deemed  it  prudent  to  send 
messengers  to  his  brother,  both  to  ascertain  the 
probable  danger  and  to  conciliate  Esau,  if  possi¬ 
ble.^  What,  then,  was  the  surprise  and  distress, 
when  his  envoys  returned  without  the  usual 
counter-greeting,  and  the  sinister  report  that 
Esau  was  advancing  to  meet  him  with  four 
hundred  warlike  men, — a  roving  band  of  free¬ 
booters,  who  might  easily  overwhelm  him  and 
his  possessions  in  rant  and  destruction!  Jacob, 
never  a  man  of  war,  had  recourse  in  his  fear  to 
stratagem  and  wise  planning.  He  divided  his 
possessions  into  two  parts,  so  that,  if  one  should 
be  captured,  the  other  might  escape.  Then  he 
betook  himself  to  prayer.  This  led  him  to  the 
use  of  other  means,  not  of  defence,  but  rather  of 
conciliatory  persuasion.  He  prepared  a  large 
present  for  Esau,  which  he  sent  forward  in  sec¬ 
tions,  that  he  might  win  his  brother's  heart. 

This  accomplished,  and  the  flocks  and  herds 
sent  forward,  Jacob  waited  till  the  stillness  of 
midnight  had  settled  upon  hill  and  dale,  and  all 

^  Gen,  xxxii,  2. 

170 


A  Halt  at  Mizpah 

nature  animate  and  inanimate  had  sunk  to  restful 
« 

slumber.  Then  he  arose,  quietly  sent  his  own 
family  across  the  Jabbok  at  the  ford,  and  himself 
returned  to  pass  a  sleepless  night  in  conflict  with 
distress  and  grave  apprehension. 

But  ere  he  was  aware,  a  greater  contest  was 
upon  him.  He  felt  the  grasp  of  a  strong  hand, 
and,  fearing  lest  it  might  be  one  of  the  expected 
enemy,  he  arose  and  grappled  with  the  stranger. 
The  struggle  continued  until  break  of  day  re¬ 
vealed  the  identity  of  the  unknown  wrestler. 
Then  the  angel  exerted  his  superhuman  power 
and  quickly  disabled  his  persistent  antagonist. 
Jacob,  conquered  in  body  and  humbled  in  spirit, 
was  not  willing  to  lose  a  victory.  He  asked  for 
a  blessing  and  received  it  in  change  of  name, — 
Israel,  a  prince  of  God."  All  his  fear  now  van¬ 
ished. 

“  Contented  now,  upon  my  thigh 

I  halt  till  life’s  short  journey  end ; 

All  helplessness,  all  weakness  I 

On  Thee  alone  for  strength  depend.”  —  Wesley. 

At  sunrise  Jacob  advanced  in  all  confidence  to 

meet  Esau  and  his  troop.  He  arranged  his  family 

with  Rachel  and  Joseph  in  the  rear.  Advancing 

before  them  all,  he  “  bowed  himself  to  the  ground 

seven  times,  until  he  came  near  to  his  brother." 

171 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

This  obeisance,  like  modern  profuse  salaams,  was 
made  with  bent  head  and  body  and  graceful 
sweep  of  the  arm,  as  the  person  advanced. 
“And  Esau  ran  to  meet  him,  and  embraced 
him,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  kissed  him:  and 
they  wept.  Esau,  forgetful  of  his  anger  and  his 
threats,  was  entirely  overcome.  “They  both 
wept."  Brotherly  love  and  long  absence  had 
swept  away  all  angry  feelings.  They  only  re¬ 
membered  they  were  brothers.  Twins  in  birth, 
they  are  united  again."  ^ 

The  sentimental  manifestations  of  affection  de¬ 
scribed  in  this  connection  are  worthy  of  note.  It 
is  even  now  the  custom  for  men  to  embrace  one 
another,  kiss  each  other's  cheeks  (lips  never 
meet),  and  weep  copiously.  No  words  could 
better  describe  the  realistic  action  of  an  eastern 
embrace  than  those  used,  “he  fell  on  his  neck 
and  kissed  him." 

Another  custom,  aptly  illustrated  in  this  meet¬ 
ing  of  the  two  brothers,  is,  in  Esau's  positive 
refusal  of  Jacob's  gift,  the  subsequent  urging  of 
its  acceptance,  and  the  final  yielding  to  entreaty. 
The  gift  was  a  very  large  one, — every  gift  in  this 
country  is  large.  Anything  less  than  a  donkey¬ 
load  of  dried  figs,  or  a  supply  of  rose-water  suf- 

*  Harper :  The  Bible  and  Modern  Discoveries. 

172 


A  Halt  at  Mizpah 

ficient  for  two  years,  or  a  nosegay  of  flowers  the 
size  of  a  cabbage,  would  stigmatize  the  giver  as 
stingy.  Quantity,  not  quality,  rules.  Esau  felt 
obliged  to  refuse  the  munificent  gift  of  animals, 
in  order  to  satisfy  social  custom.  (Doubtless  he 
fully  expected  to  take  it  eventually.)  By  so  do¬ 
ing  he  could  mention  incidentally,  that  he  had 
sufficient  of  his  own.  Nor  would  it  be  polite  to 
manifest  a  desire  for  the  offering.  Jacob  on  his 
part  was  in  duty  bound  to  urge  the  acceptance 
of  his  gift.  The  Bible  sums  it  all  up  in  four 
verses.^  But  in  all  probability  the  transaction 
consumed  a  good  half  hour.  (The  discussion  of 
a  simple  supper  invitation  has  been  known  to 
occupy  as  much  as  this.) 

Finally  Esau  with  gracious  condescension  took 
over  the  prize,  inwardly  pleased  at  the  large  ad¬ 
dition  to  his  possessions,  outwardly  manifest¬ 
ing  no  emotion  of  any  kind.  Gifts  in  this  land 
are  received  with  benumbing  coldness  and  no 
expression  of  thanks.  Otherwise  the  recipient 
would  appear  to  show  undue  desire  for  more. 
The  oriental  definition  of  '' gratitude"  is  “a 
lively  sense  of  favors  to  come.'*  Hence  gratitude 
should  be  outwardly  suppressed.  Let  it  not  be 
thought,  however,  that  the  gift  goes  wholly  un- 

*  Gen.  xxxiii.  8-li. 

173 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

noticed.  A  return  is  always  made,  equal,  if  not 
larger,  than  the  original.  The  basket,  which 
brought  grapes,  is  filled  with  figs.  A  present  of 
raisins  draws  forth  a  larger  gift  of  pulse.^ 

When  the  gift  had  been  properly  transferred, 
then  Esau  extended  a  polite  invitation  to  his 
brother  to  return  home  with  him  to  Seir.  Jacob 
prudently  declined  this  offer,  though  the  text^ 
would  seem  to  indicate  a  courteous  and  consid¬ 
erate  acceptance.  It  is  easily  explained  by  cur¬ 
rent  customs.  Esau's  invitation  was  probably 
quite  as  superficial  as  was  Jacob's  evasive  ac¬ 
ceptance  of  it.  Each  party  fully  realized,  too,  the 
other's  polite,  but  meaningless,  motives.  Such 
interchange  of  customary  courtesies  is  common 
among  all  classes  in  the  Orient.  How  many 
other  customs  have  descended  from  the  days  of 
the  Patriarchs,  who  can  tell  ? 

The  travellers  left  the  heights  of  Suf  and 
descended  into  a  wide  valley,  whose  innumer¬ 
able  olive-trees  softened  the  landscape  with  their 
pleasing  tints.  At  the  other  side  of  this  sea  of 
green  a  village  appeared,  and  there  began  a 
broad,  open  plain,  which  swept  southward 
toward  the  Jabbok  river.  The  riders  hurried  on¬ 
ward,  for  the  elements  looked  unpropitious. 

*Dan.  i.  12.  »Gen.  xxxiii.  12-17. 


174 


A  Halt  at  Mizpah 

Thus  far  the  rain-god  had  been  exceedingly 
kind  in  withholding  his  stored-up  waters.  Now, 
however,  the  heavens  were  lowering,  and  black 
clouds  hung  in  the  darkened  skies. 

But  the  great  impelling  motive  was  their  near¬ 
ness  to  Jerash.  Another  hour  of  travel  would 
certainly  bring  them  to  the  journey's  end  amidst 
its  fallen  buildings.  How  many  and  how  great 
were  their  anticipations  as  they  drew  nigh  to  the 
city  of  ruins!  “Jerash”  had  been  a  name  upon 
their  lips  and  in  their  deepest  thoughts  and  high¬ 
est  hopes  from  the  very  inception  of  the  journey. 
It  had  seemed  discouragingly  distant,  hidden  by 
almost  insurmountable  hills  of  difficulty.  Once 
the  quest  had  been  quite  abandoned,  when  heat 
and  apprehension  had  turned  the  tourists  toward 
Galilee.  Now,  however,  they  were  nearing  the 
acme  of  their  desires. 


175 


XVI 


JERASH,  THE  MAGNIFICENT  CITY 

Eagerly  did  the  expectant  tourists  traverse  the 
rolling  plain  to  the  southward.  Their  thoughts 
were  all  upon  what  was  before  them.  How 
would  Jerash  appear  as  it  was  approached  from 
the  north  ?  Could  it  be  the  little  town  on  the 
brow  of  that  distant  hill  ?  Would  it  repay  all  this 
toil  and  expense  ?  How  much  further  off  was  it  ? 

Suddenly,  as  a  rising  knoll  was  surmounted, 
there  came  into  view  in  the  plain  before  them 
such  a  picture  as  may  not  often  be  spread  before 
the  traveller’s  gaze.  Like  some  well-set  scene 
of  surpassing  grandeur,  appearing  before  an  ex¬ 
pectant  audience,  as  the  curtain  rolls  ^slowly  up¬ 
ward,  did  Jerash,  the  magnificent  city,  silently 
greet  the  eyes  of  the  tourists,  as  they  waited, 
almost  with  reverence,  to  drink  in  the  marvels 
of  the  wonderful  revelation.  There,  at  their 
very  feet,  lay  the  city  of  columns,  stretching  off 
into  the  distance,  its  temples  and  its  theatres,  its 
colonnaded  avenues  and  triumphal  arches,  stand¬ 
ing  in  majestic  outline,  oppressive  in  motionless 

176 


Jerash,  the  Magnificent  City 

silence.  It  might  have  been  a  painting  on  can¬ 
vas, — so  fixed,  so  dead. 

There  came  to  mind  a  youthful  visit  to  a  gigan¬ 
tic  panorama  of  a  famous  battle  of  the  Civil  War. 
The  mountain-side  was  there,  the  trees,  the 
copse,  the  rail  fence,  the  rivulet,  the  smoke  of 
battle  settling  in  dark  line  upon  the  scene.  The 
officers  with  brandished  swords  were  bravely  urg¬ 
ing  their  men  forward  into  the  face  of  belching 
cannon,  into  the  jaws  of  death.  Here  and  there 
a  brave  comrade  was  falling,  mortally  wounded, 
and  the  blood  was  staining  the  ground  where  he 
fell.  Flags  were  fluttering  in  the  breeze.  Every 
line  indicated  intense  action  and  energy, — but  all 
was  as  still  and  unchanging  as  death.  The  scene 
was  appalling  from  its  very  fixedness! 

So  the  afternoon  sun  of  that  memorable  day 
shone  down  upon  a  scene  marvellous  in  magnifi¬ 
cence,  overwhelming  in  silent  solitude.  How 
came  that  hermit  city  to  exist  off  there  on  the 
edge  of  the  desert?  Whose  genius  planned 
those  elaborate  buildings  and  well-laid  avenues  ? 
Whose  wealth  was  poured  into  those  massive 
piles  of  stone  work  ?  Whose  hands  wrought 
out  those  delicate  traceries  in  extended  friezes 
and  lofty  capitals  ?  Whose  strength  was  given 

to  rear  those  gigantic  columns  ? 

177 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Some  of  these  questions  history  answers. 
Others  must  be  left  to  the  imagination  to  fill  out 
in  reply. 

Gerasa  was  a  grand  city  in  its  day.  ''One  of 
the  ten  cities  of  Decapolis.  It  existed  during  the 
first  centuries  of  our  era.  Its  days  of  surpassing 
grandeur  and  architectural  activity  were  in  the 
second  and  third  century  after  Christ.  It  was 
one  of  the  famous  Greek  colonies,  dependent  for 
its  beauty  upon  the  successors  of  Phideas  and 
Praxiteles;  but  it  owed  its  very  existence  to  the 
iron  rule  of  an  all-conquering  Roman  power. 
By  order  of  the  Roman  emperors  royal  roads  had 
been  made,  connecting  this  city  of  the  east  with 
western  civilization.  No  expense  was  spared  to 
build  a  city  magnificent  in  its  proportions.  Acre 
upon  acre  of  finely-wrought,  massively-con¬ 
structed  buildings  filled  the  plain.  Round  about 
the  whole  stretched  the  wall, — a  mighty  bulwark 
in  itself. 

Who  could  exaggerate  the  grandeur  of  the 
ancient  city,  when  its  ruins  excite  unbounded 
surprise  and  admiration!  No  other  ruins  in  all 
Syria  (unless  Palmyra  be  an  exception)  cover 
such  a  great  extent  of  ground.  Over  three  hun¬ 
dred  columns  still  stand, — and  they  are  but  a 
fraction  of  the  whole! 


178 


Jerash,  the  Magnificent  City 

This  mighty  result  in  stone  was  accom¬ 
plished  largely  by  slave  labor, — by  forced  draft. 
How  many  of  them  were  Jews,  how  many 
Christians,  who  can  tell  ?  The  remark  of  one  of 
the  trio  was  eminently  true,  These  buildings 
were  not  erected  by  subscription.’’  The  rather, 
by  conscription.  When  the  hidden  page  of  his¬ 
tory  shall  reveal  the  labor,  the  toil,  the  suffering, 
the  stripes,  the  agonies  endured  by  overworked 
slaves  of  all  nations,  the  price  of  those  structures 
will  not  seem  overvalued,  “a  stone  for  a  life.” 
The  roll  of  the  martyrs,  read  in  the  courts  of 
heaven,  may  contain  many  names  of  steadfast 
believers,  who  died  for  their  Lord  in  menial 
service  at  Gerasa  in  rearing  a  wonderful  city 
for  the  proud  and  tyrannical  Greeks  and  Ro¬ 
mans. 

Little  did  those  imperial  colonists  realize  that 
the  ruins  of  their  magnificence  should  one 
day  serve  a  company  of  Christians,  not  for 
work,  but  for  convenience.  The  three  tour¬ 
ists,  speculating  as  to  the  best  place  in  Jerash  in 
which  to  spread  their  tents,  passed  down  the 
broad  plain,  where  flowed  a  little  stream,  its 
banks  lined  with  oleanders,  which  in  their  season 
make  the  scene  beautiful  with  rich  color.  They 

crossed  over  the  north  wall  of  the  city, — no 

17U 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

longer  a  barrier, — and  rode  up  to  the  first  great 
pile,  the  ruins  of  a  noble  theatre. 

A  Greek  theatre  of  the  ancient  type  forms  a 
capital  camping-place  for  modern  travellers.  His¬ 
torically  it  awakens  myriad  thoughts  of  regal 

splendor  and  Christian  martyrdom.  Practically 

« 

it  lends  itself  to  the  real  necessities  of  the  tourists 
in  affording  shade  and  shelter,  semi-seclusion, 
and  excellent  stabling  for  the  animals.  Incon¬ 
gruous  as  this  may  sound, — a  grand  theatre  re¬ 
duced  to  the  tevel  of  tourists’  conveniences, — yet 
so  it  was.  Camp  was  pitched  in  the  midst  of  the 
open  arena.  Round  about  on  three  sides  rose  the 
semicircle  of  stone  benches,  in  sixteen  tiers,  one 
above  another,  capable  of  seating  three  or  four 
thousand  spectators.  In  the  Orient,  where  no 
rain  falls  from  May  to  October,  the  people  could 
gather  in  the  theatres  with  the  vault  of  heaven  for 
a  roof.  Light  awnings  were  stretched  above  the 
seats,  to  protect  the  favored  ones  from  the  sun. 
The  sockets  in  the  stones  to  hold  the  poles  of 
the  awnings  may  still  be  seen. 

The  proscenium  was  very  low,  with  a  backing 
of  detached  columns.  This  is  now  filled  with 
dirt  and  rubbish,  and  the  rude  farmers  of  the  dis¬ 
trict  have  laid  it  out  in  terraces  for  sowing,  hop¬ 
ing  for  a  little  profit  amidst  the  wrecks  of  time. 

180 


# 


MODERN  JERASH  ACROSS  THE  STREAM 


Jerash,  the  Magnificent  City 

Part  way  up  the  rows  of  benches  a  narrow  aisle 
ran  about  the  semicircle,  connected  by  five 
arched  exits  with  the  inner  vaulted  passage  built 
beneath  the  upper  tiers  of  seats.  Under  the  low¬ 
est  row,  at  each  end,  are  certain  dark  cellars  or 
vaulted  rooms,  manifestly  used  in  their  day  to 
contain  the  wild  beasts  for  the  shows. 

The  travellers  reached  this  desirable  camping- 
place  early  in  the  afternoon,  with  ample  time  to 
pitch  tents  and  stake  out  the  animals  on  one  of 
the  terraces  in  the  midst  of  this  oriental  scene. 
Eagerly  they  mounted  the  narrow  benches  and 
walked  about  them,  wondering  at  their  solidity 
and  capacity.  They  guessed  at  the  use  made  of 
the  shell-shaped  niches  about  the  aisle  leading  to 
the  seats.  Were  they  to  contain  busts  of  the 
idol  gods,  or  were  they  for  the  burning  of 
incense  ?  They  passed  through  the  **  vomitoria” 
to  the  great  vaulted  semicircle,  where  the  noble 
Romans  were  wont  to  stroll  “between  the  acts." 
Surely  this  was  a  unique  camping-place. 

Yet  this  theatre  was  but  a  small  sample  of 

what  was  to  be  seen  further  on.  At  a  stone’s 

throw  distant,  on  the  highest  eminence  in  the 

plain,  were  the  ruins  of  a  majestic  temple.  This 

was  doubtless  the  crowning  feature  of  all  the 

architectural  marvels  found  in  the  once-favored 

181 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

city.  This  temple  was  probably  dedicated  to  the 
sun,  facing,  as  it  does,  toward  the  east.  The 
walls  are  still  standing,  and  enclose  a  rectangle 
about  seventy-five  feet  long  by  sixty-five  wide. 
The  temple  was  originally  enclosed  by  a  colon¬ 
nade,  but  many  of  the  columns  have  fallen.  The 
portico,  however,  still  merits  its  meed  of  praise. 
It  is  approached  by  broad  steps,  and  consists  of 
three  rows  of  columns  in  the  Corinthian  style,  all 
of  colossal  proportions.  The  front  row  now  shows 
five  of  the  original  six  columns.  These  stand 
out  against  the  sky  from  every  view-point.  The 
other  two  rows  each  had  four,  but  two  of  the 
inner  ones  are  down.  Of  the  thousands  of 
columns,  which  once  adorned  the  beautiful  city, 
none  were  larger  than  these,  which  upheld  the 
portico  of  the  great  temple  of  the  sun.  They 
are  thirty-eight  feet  high,  and  fully  six  feet  in 
diameter,  and  the  carved  capitals  are  beautifully 
wrought  in  acanthus  foliage.  In  comparison 
with  these  gigantic  monuments  of  bygone  great¬ 
ness,  what  a  pigmy  does  man  appear,  with  his 
possible  six  feet  of  stature! 

The  site  of  the  temple  was  not  chosen  by 

chance.  It  is  a  well-selected  platform  whence  a 

marvellous  panorama  greets  the  eye.  A  forest  of 

standing  columns  fills  the  plain.  It  seemed  to 

182 


I 


\ 


Jerash,  the  Magnificent  City 

the  ** otherwise  man”  as  if  some  giant  had 
passed  that  way  and  sown  broadcast  the  germ- 
seeds,  which  had  sprung  up  into  a  plentiful 
harvest  of  columns. 

From  north  to  south  stretches  a  well-paved 
boulevard,  lined  on  either  side  by  mighty 
columns,  whose  number  may  have  reached  a 
thousand.  This  avenue  is  intercepted  by  cross¬ 
streets  at  intervals,  and  ends  in  a  great  circle  of 
columns  joined  by  an  entablature.  Special  atten¬ 
tion  was  given  by  the  tourists  to  this  long 
colonnaded  avenue.  Think  of  a  boulevard  half- 
a-mile  in  length,  flanked  on  either  side  by  mighty 
pillars  joined  one  to  the  other  by  beautifully 
carved  blocks  fully  fifteen  feet  long!  At  the 
street  intersection  are  ruins  of  what  must  have 
been  a  massive  vaulted  dome,  with  niches  in  the 
walls  for  statues  of  their  gods.  At  one  point  the 
street  widens  on  the  left-hand  side  into  the  shape 
of  a  semicircular  room.  The  columns  have 
there  given  place  to  a  wall,  which  is  most  pro¬ 
fusely  and  exquisitely  carved.  The  stone  work 
in  this  room  was  the  most  beautiful  seen  in  all 
Syria.  Further  on  two  or  three  very  beautiful 
fluted  pillars  were  found,  of  a  delicate  pinkish 
hue,  the  lines  running  about  the  shafts  in  a 

spiral.  The  great  circle  at  the  end  of  this  avenue 

183 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

must  have  consisted  of  fully  seventy-five  or 
eighty  pillars, — a  grand  forum. 

The  cross  streets  led  to  bridges,  which  spanned 
the  stream.  One  of  these  is  still  used  for  pas¬ 
sage.  All  the  avenues  were  flanked  by  beautiful 
structures,  either  dwelling  houses  or  public 
buildings,  whose  floors  were  laid  with  rich 
mosaic.  The  little  cubes,  which .  composed 
these  mosaics,  may  now  be  gathered  all  along 
the  way. 

South  of  the  forum-like  enclosure,  on  rising 
ground,  is  a  second  temple,  smaller  than  the 
first,  with  many  delicately-carved  pillars.  An¬ 
other  theatre  stands  beside  it.  The  close  prox¬ 
imity  of  temple  and  theatre  was  not  then  con¬ 
sidered  inconsistent.  The  ancient  Greeks  loved 
games  and  plays  as  they  loved  their  gods.  This 
theatre  was  capable  of  seating  six  thousand  spec¬ 
tators. 

But  no  such  numbers  could  now  be  found  in 

this  vicinity,  even  were  the  theatre  in  readiness 

to  receive  them.  The  only  residents  of  this 

once-famous  city  are  a  few  imported  Circassians, 

who  have  obligingly  built  their  houses  across  the 

stream  in  the  eastern  quarter  of  the  town,  and 

have  not  disturbed  the  grand  array  of  ruins 

to  the  west,  except  as  they  have  taken  some  of 

184 


SOUTHERN  END  OF  COLONNADE  AVENUE 


THE 


l-'ORUM  AT  JEKASH 


Jerash,  the  Magnificent  City 

the  carved  and  shaped  stone,  with  which  to 
build  houses  for  themselves.  One  beautiful  cap¬ 
ital  was  seen  beside  the  southern  temple, 
hollowed  out  inside  and  its  exquisite  carving  of 
acanthus  leaves  chipped  off,  to  make,  forsooth,  a 
circular  opening  for  some  cistern! 

Further  to  the  south,  and  beyond  the  city  gate 
proper,  is  a  noble,  triumphal  arch  in  the  form  of 
a  handsome,  triple  gateway,  erected  in  honor  of 
some  magnate  in  the  time  of  Trajan  or  later. 
Near  by  is  a  great  basin,  once  used  for  miniature 
sea-fights,  whose  water  supply  came  through 
a  conduit,  which  remains  in  a  fair  state  of 
preservation.  This  naumachia  was  mani¬ 
festly  a  favorite  resort  of  the  time-burdened 
Greeks, — if  the  rows  of  seats  all  about  it  are  an 
evidence. 

Beyond  this  for  nearly  a  mile  ruins  of  houses, 
tombs  and  other  structures  may  be  traced,  but 
nothing  of  any  (comparative)  importance  ap¬ 
pears. 

It  is  well  for  the  fortunate  few,  who  are  able 
to  reach  this  city  of  ruins,  that  Jerash  is  situated 
beyond  the  confines  of  an  inquisitive  civilization. 
Distance  and  difficulty  of  access  have  tended 
to  produce  somewhat  the  result  of  the  lava  over¬ 
flows  upon  Pompeii.  Man’s  genius  for  change 

185 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

and  improvement,  or  for  pillage  and  destruction, 
has  been  restrained.  Jerash  may  be  cited  as  an 
example  of  natural  decay.  To  all  appearances 
it  has  been  left  uninhabited  for  centuries,  and  all 
changes  must  be  credited  to  natural  agencies. 
Sun  and  rain  have  done  their  work  well  ;  earth¬ 
quake  shocks  have  wrought  havoc  amongst  the 
stately  buildings,  and  scattered  the  columns  right 
and  left ;  and  Time,  the  insidious  destroyer,  has 
brought  low  those  proud  edifices,  erected  to 
withstand  all  enemies. 

Night  settled  upon  the  camp  in  the  theatre.  The 

otherwise  man  "  kept  the  watch  from  midnight 
and  onward.  As  he  paced  back  and  forth  on  the 
highest  tier  of  benches,  the  sight  of  the  late-rising 
moon,  fast  waning  in  its  reflected  glory,  brought 
to  mind  the  reality  of  the  weird  scene  about  him. 
Those  dimly-lighted  piles  and  faintly-glimmering 
columns  were  the  waning,  vanishing  evidence  of 
a  former  magnificence  and  grandeur  foreign  to 
this  land  in  the  present  generation. 

The  accompanying  outline  (from  survey  by 
Kiepert)  gives  an  idea  of  the  form  and  vast  extent 
of  the  ruins  of  Jerash. 

The  following  extended  extracts  from  Keith's 
*‘Land  of  Israel"  (written  in  1843),  are  here  in¬ 
serted,  not  only  because  of  the  intrinsic  merit  of 

186 


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>,  «jii*  J  f  ’ 


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'i. 


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Jerash,  the  Magnificent  City 

the  descriptions,  but  also  in  corroboration  of 
foregoing  statements. 

“Scarcely  anywhere  are  ruins  to  be  found 
which  outvie  those  of  Jerash,  supposed  to  be  the 
ancient  Gerasa.  Fallen  as  they  are,  enough  is  left 
to  prove  that  the  banks  of  a  streamlet  were  so 
enriched  and  adorned,  as  to  challenge  in  their 
magnificence,  though  in  ruins,  any  spot  in  Europe, 
the  most  richly  garnished  with  princely  edifices. 
Lofty  columns  generally  pertain  only  to  palaces  or 
temples  or  other  public  buildings.  But  the  streets 
of  Jerash  were  lined  with  colonnades  from  end 
to  end,  and  opened  a  way  to  public  edifices,  which 
yet  lost  not  their  distinction,  while  statelier  or 
finer  columns  were  doubled  or  multiplied  around 
them. 

“An  arched  gateway,  facing  the  chief  street, 

leads  to  the  splendid  remains  of  a  magnificent 

temple,  such  as  few  countries  could  have  ever 

shown.  The  base  of  the  edifice  is  now  covered 

with  its  fallen  roof.  Three  of  the  walls  still  stand, 

showing  the  niches  for  images.  The  front  of  the 

temple  was  adorned  with  a  noble  portico,  with 

three  rows  of  grand  Corinthian  columns  thirty- 

five  or  forty  feet  in  height,  the  capitals  of  which 

are  beautifully  ornamented  with  acanthus  leaves. 

The  spacious  area  within  which  it  stood  were 

187 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

surrounded  in  like  manner  by  a  double  row  of 
columns,  the  total  number  of  which,  that  origi¬ 
nally  adorned  the  temple  and  its  area,  was 
not  less  than  two  hundred  or  two  hundred  and 
fifty. 

“  In  the  construction  of  the  city  and  the  position 
of  its  principal  edifices,  now  the  monument  of  its 
glory,  nature  has  been  seconded  or  followed  by 
art.  An  eminence  on  one  end  of  the  city,  op¬ 
posite  to  the  termination  of  the  grand  street  which 
led  to  the  other,  was  the  site  both  of  a  temple  and 
of  a  theatre,  which  were  placed  in  pagan  juxtapo¬ 
sition.  The  low  hill  on  which  they  stood  was 
connected  with  the  princely  street  by  a  magnifi¬ 
cent  semicircle  of  Ionic  columns,  embracing  an 
open  space  at  its  base,  fifty-seven  of  which  are 
still  standing,  their  heighthavingbeen  varied  with 
the  rising  ground  to  give  a  uniform  level  to  the 
whole  entablature.  The  immense  theatre,  larger 
than  that  of  Bacchus  at  Athens,  and  estimated  as 
having  been  capable  of  containing  eight  thousand 
spectators,  was  partly  cut  out  of  the  rock  and 
partly  built;  the  front  wall,  or  proscenium,  is  very 
perfect,  and  embellished  within  by  five  richly- 
decorated  niches,  which  are  connected  together 
by  a  line  of  columns,  of  which  there  is  another 
parallel  range  within. 


188 


Jerash,  the  Magnificent  City 

I 

“  Beside  it  are  the  remains  of  a  beautiful  temple, 
ornamented  with  pilasters  surmounted  by  Co¬ 
rinthian  capitals;  without,  it  was  surrounded  by 
a  grand  peristyle  of  the  same  order.  Now  in  the 
words  of  Lord  Claude  Hamilton,  ‘the  columns, 
capitals,  and  cornice  all  lie  confusedly  in  a  com¬ 
mon  ruin.  The  view  from  this  spot  is  still  most 
wonderful,  but  in  the  days  of  Gerasa’s  glory  it 
must  have  been  a  spectacle  of  unequalled  mag¬ 
nificence.  The  whole  town,  including  a  vast 
area,  and  surrounded  by  an  immense  wall,  is  at 
your  feet.  Immediately  below  is  the  noble  Ionic 
crescent,  from  the  centre  of  which  the  main  street 
extends.  Of  the  continued  line  of  columns  on 
each  side,  now  eighty-three  only  are  standing 
with  their  entablatures,  but  portions  and  pedes¬ 
tals  of  the  remainder  are  clearly  visible.  Around 
them,  on  every  side,  are  confused  heaps  of  well- 
cut  stone,  and  piles  of  ruins  which  have  only 
fallen  from  the  violence  of  ruthless  barbarism. 
These  columns,  raising  their  slender  forms  among 
the  general  wreck,  and  stretching  in  so  long  a 
line  amid  the  remains  of  former  magnificence, 
produce  an  effect  which  nothing  in  Italy,  Greece, 
or  Egypt  has  yet  presented  to  me.  To  the  right, 
the  noble  temple  first  mentioned  stands  against 
the  sight,  displaying  the  beautiful  proportions  of 

189 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

its  matchless  portico,  and  in  every  direction, 
columns,  colonnades,  and  massive  walls  attest  the 
wealth,  the  power,  and  the  taste  that  once  dwelt 
in  this  desolate  spot,  and  read  a  lesson  to  human 
vanity  that  cannot  readily  be  forgotten.' " 


4- 


190 


A 


XVII 


A  GREWSOME  BEDCHAMBER 

Drip, — drip, — drip; — disquieting  dreams  and 
fine  spray  upon  the  face  of  the  sleeping  “other¬ 
wise  man”  had  the  effect  of  gradually  awaken¬ 
ing  him  to  the  realization  that  the  expected  rain 
had  come.  Had  those  old  Greeks  been  in  the 
habit  of  putting  a  roof  on  their  theatres,  he  might 
have  slept  on  undisturbed.  Even  this  oversight 
on  the  part  of  our  Hellenic  friends  might  have 
passed  unnoticed,  if  their  more  recent  fellow- 
townsmen,  the  Circassians,  had  not  ploughed 
their  furrows  quite  so  deeply,  thus  allowing  an 
ill-placed  peg  to  slip  out  and  let  the  tent-top  sag. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  the  gently-descending  drops 
were  oozing  through  the  canvas  and  moistening 
the  pillow  of  the  sleeping  tourist.  He  arose, 
moved  his  cot  out  from  under  these  descending 
blessings,  turned  his  pillow  over,  and  would 
have  resumed  his  slumbers,  had  not  the  “aged 
friend”  called  “all  hands  up”  to  bring  in  boxes 
and  other  articles  to  the  sheltering  tent.  Ropes 

were  tightened  and  the  erring  peg  replaced. 

191 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

The  muleteers  led  the  animals  into  the  “lions’ 
den,” — conveniently  at  hand  for  the  occasion. 
Sleep  was  no  longer  possible,  so  thoughts  were 
turned  to  breakfast,  ruins,  or  partridge  hunting, 
according  to  the  individual  tastes  of  the  thinkers. 

Indeed,  the  rain  was  very  obliging,  having 
waited  for  a  day  when  the  travellers  expected  to 
remain  in  camp.  Nor  did  it  interfere  with  pres¬ 
ent  plans.  Only  a  slight  shower  followed  the 
heavy  downpour  of  the  early  morning. 

After  breakfast  and  prayers  a  thorough  inspec¬ 
tion  of  all  the  ruins  was  undertaken.  The  day 
was  delightfully  cool  for  the  excursion.  Every 
part  of  the  ancient  city  was  visited.  Eyes  and 
minds  were  busily  occupied.  The  tourists  lin¬ 
gered  long  in  the  southern  theatre,  specially 
favored  as  a  choice  outlook.  From  its  higher 
seats  one  may  view  the  whole  expanse  of  ruins 
in  all  their  magnitude. 

And  they  are  only  ruins!  What  must  have 

been  the  splendor  of  the  city  in  its  entirety  1  Can 

the  imagination  compass  its  magnificence  ?  The 

spectator  at  the  theatre  might  weary  of  the  heavy 

dialogue  in  progress  on  the  stage  beneath  him, 

but  could  his  eyes  ever  tire  of  the  grand  scene 

spread  out  before  his  view  ?  He  might  see  the 

chariots  coursing  up  and  down  the  avenue  of 

192 


A  Grewsome  Bedchamber 

columns,  and  richly-dressed  Greeks  and  Romans 
gathered  at  the  Forum,  or  wending  their  way  to 
the  grand  temple  on  the  hill.  Wherever  his 
gaze  was  directed,  his  eye  rested  on  beautifully- 
wrought  pillars  and  graceful  shapes  in  buildings, 
public  and  private.  The  companies  of  helmeted 
soldiers,  with  armor  glistening  in  the  sun, 
marched  here  and  there,  and  the  guards  upon 
the  wall  proclaimed  the  hourly  word  of  peace 
and  security. 

Now,  however,  the  walls  are  overthrown,  and 
the  sightseers  made  their  way  along  the  street 
strewn  with  prostrate  columns,  and  returned  to 
camp,  impressed  with  the  power  of  man  to  rear 
such  mighty  buildings,  but  the  more  with  the  si¬ 
lent,  patient,  yet  destructive  power  of  Nature, 
which  works  by  rain  and  sun,  by  springing  grass 
and  burrowing  roots,  until  it  accomplishes  the 
downfall  of  the  proudest  structure. 

The  afternoon  sky  was  still  lowering,  and,  in 
order  that  the  tents  and  camp  outfit  might  be  dry 
for  transportation  on  the  morrow,  a  bold  and 
novel  plan  was  formed.  It  was  resolved  to 
spend  the  night  in  the  great  vaulted  passage  be¬ 
hind  and  beneath  the  stone  benches.  Thither 
the  baggage  was  transferred  through  one  of  the 

“vomitoria”  connecting  with  this  encircling 

193 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

chamber,  even  though  the  exit  was  nearly  choked 
with  stones  and  rubbish.  The  tents,  having  been 
dried  by  the  afternoon  breeze  and  the  fitful  sun, 
were  folded  and  stored  away. 

The  removal  was  effected  at  first  by  the  wan¬ 
ing  light  of  departing  day,  and  then  by  flickering 
candle  light.  A  weird  scene  it  was,  as  the  forms 
moved  back  and  forth,  entering  the  cave-like 
opening,  casting  grotesque  shadows  on  the  walls. 
More  grewsome  than  all  was  the  passage-chamber 
itself.  Candles  had  been  fixed  at  intervals  in  the 
sides,  revealing  in  the  rounded  ceiling  the  huge 
blocks  which  upheld  the  seats  above  them  in  the 
open  air.  This  passage  was  ten  feet  in  width 
and  fully  as  high,  though  the  floor  was  covered 
deep  with  earth  and  blocks  of  stones. 

The  beds  were  ranged  along  th^  walls,  with 

weapons  close  at  hand.  For  who  could  tell 

what  strange  visitor  might  appear  ?  At  the  far 

end  of  this  semicircular  vault  the  horses  were 

sheltered, — not  in  sight  nor  in  sound,  except  for 

an  occasional  stamp  of  a  hoof.  All  the  openings 

to  the  rear  had  long  ago  been  closed  by  rough 

piles  of  stones.  Only  one  was  left,  and  by  that 

opening  the  muleteers  slept,  guarding  against  any 

intrusion  from  without.  When  all  preparations 

had  been  completed,  and  darkness  had  settled 

194 


A  Grewsome  Bedchamber 


upon  the  outside  world,  then  the  three  mission¬ 
aries,  envoys  of  the  Christian  religion,  lay  down 
to  sleep  in  a  heathen  theatre,  dedicated,  no  doubt, 
to  a  heathen  god! 

And  as  they  slept,  and  dreamed,  what  form 
may  not  their  night  visions  have  assumed!  If 
environment  can  affect  the  unfettered  fancies  of 
the  dreamers,  they  must  surely  have  traced  their 
path  back  over  the  centuries  to  the  early  days  of 
Christianity,  when  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
noble  martyrs  adhered  steadfastly  to  their  faith, 
even  in  the  hour  of  ignominy  and  cruel  death. 

This  theatre  by  its  very  shape  reveals  its  pur¬ 
pose,  which  is  not  the  recital  of  innocent  plays, 
but  the  shedding  of  blood  for  the  amusement  of 
heathen  spectators.  Nor  would  the  thousands 
of  onlookers  be  content  with  the  slaughter  of 
beasts,  however  wild  and  noble;  they  must  see 
human  prowess  and  human  suffering. 

Might  not  the  dreamer,  with  the  liberty  of  ir¬ 
rationality, — 

“  While  fancy,  like  the  finger  of  a  clock, 

Runs  the  great  circuit,  and  is  still  at  home,”  — * 

see  the  place  restored  to  its  one-time  form  ? 

Again  the  day  dawns,  but  a  day  in  the  third 
century  of  our  era.  The  sun  shines  upon  glis- 

*  Cowper. 

195 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

tening  circles  of  seats,  and  busts  of  gods  and 
goddesses  adorn  the  shell-shaped  niches.  The 
sand  in  the  arena  glows  under  the  warming 
rays,  while  the  half-famished  beasts  fill  the  air 
with  their  roaring,  which  issues  from  the 
strongly-grated  dens  on  the  lowest  level.  Hark! 
a  strange,  sweet  sound  rises  on  the  morning  air; 
— it  is  the  hymn  of  the  Christians,  as  they  wait 
in  chains  for  the  hour  of  their  release.  Upheld 
by  divine  strength,  they  look  out  upon  the  prep¬ 
arations,  as  fresh  sand  is  sprinkled  on  the  arena, 
and  the  barrier  walls  are  examined,  lest  some  in¬ 
furiated  beast  leap  to  the  benches. 

Then  the  rear  gates  are  swung  open  and  the 
crowds  pour  in.  Those  clad  in  the  royal  purple, 
their  courtiers  with  them,  choose  the  best  seats, 
while  the  rest  of  the  available  space  is  filled  with 
an  eager,  expectant  thfong.  The  nobility  are 
greeted  with  cheers,  then  all  eyes  turn  to  the 
grated  bars. 

These  are  opened,  and  one,  two,  three  raven¬ 
ous  beasts  spring  out.  They  have  not  long  to 
wait.  An  opposite  door  swings  backward,  and 
perchance  a  Christian  family  move  slowly  for¬ 
ward  to  a  horrible  death,  while  pampered  nobles 
and  court-bred  ladies  eagerly  bend  far  over  to 

watch  the  certain  result.  They  no  longer  think 

196 


A  Grewsome  Bedchamber 

of  thumbs  turned  down,  which  might  have  res¬ 
cued  a  gladiator  or  a  wrestler. 

But  these  are  only  Christians!  With  uplifted 
eyes  and  unswerving  faith  they  die  the  martyr's 
death.  Can  such  things  have  been?  Is  it  not 
all  a  monstrous  dream  ?  Were  the  believers  ever 
put  to  such  a  test  ?  In  this  day  of  easy  Christi¬ 
anity  who  would  stand  in  the  face  of  such  an 
ordeal! 

The  dreamer  seems  to  be  drawn  irresistibly 
into  the  midst  of  the  onlookers.  Dazed  and 
trembling  he  beholds  the  Christians,  singly  and 
in  groups,  brought  before  the  altars  in  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  the  throng,  and  given  a  little  incense  to 
strew,  if  they  will,  upon  the  altar  fire.  A  very 
easy  way  to  deny  their  Lord,  yet  all  the  more 
subtle  the  temptation.  One  by  one  they  refuse 
with  the  Christian  fortitude  born  of  faith.  “  To 
the  beasts! "  is  the  cry,  and  their  crown  is  won. 

Now  the  dreamer  is  brought  closer  and  closer 
to  the  altar.  The  officiating  priest  places  the 
incense  in  his  hand,  and  urges  him  to  a  decision. 
All  about  him  are  the  eager,  heathen  faces,  row 
upon  row,  with  eyes  bent  upon  him,  and  ears 
open  to  hear  his  reply,  or  witness  the  slight 
gesture  of  submission.  He  dare  not  look  behind 

him, — the  moans  of  the  tortured  are  enough. 

197 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

It  is  a  moment  of  awful  suspense.  All  his 
professions  of  faith,  his  calling  itself,  urge  him  to 
the  word  of  right  decision.  The  sweetness  of 
life,  the  love  of  his  dear  ones,  the  sophistry  of 
plausible  excuses  tempt  him  to  move  his  arm 
toward  the  altar.  The  crowds  grow  impatient; 
the  cry  goes  up;  his  fate  is  about  to  be  sealed; 
what  shall  he  do  ?  Suddenly  some  hunger-mad¬ 
dened  beast  raises  its  voice;  the  dreamer  starts 
and  vainly  struggles  with  his  captors,  and — 
awakes  to  realize  that  a  wild-cat  has  invaded 
the  improvised  bedchamber,  and  the  'Miterary 
friend"  has  raised  the  alarm.  The  provisions 
were  saved,  and  a  tragedy  averted. 


XVIII 


A  QUEST  FOR  WATER 

The  stars  were  shining  brightly  in  the  heavens, 
when,  at  four  o’clock  in  the  morning,  the  travel¬ 
lers  emerged  from  their  theatrical  chamber,  none 
the  worse  for  their  experience,  and  ready  to 
start  on  a  new  path  toward  the  west.  No  rain 
had  fallen  during  the  night,  and  all  signs  pointed 
to  a  cool,  breezy  day.  Little  did  they  realize 
that  this  was  to  be  the  longest  day’s  work  of  the 
trip. 

The  chilly  darkness,  scarce  dispelled  by  a 

belated  and  discouraged  moon,  gave  zest  to 

active  preparation  for  the  removal.  The  loads 

were  made  up;  the  inner  man  was  refreshed 

(principally  with  bread  and  sweet-food);  lunch 

(ditto)  was  packed;  and,  as  the  genial  light  of 

dawning  day  grew  brighter  and  clearer,  the 

caravan  started,  rejoicing  that  no  government 

officials  had  stepped  in  to  interfere  with  the 

solid  delight  of  the  visit  to  Jerash.  Indeed,  the 

utmost  precautions  had  been  observed.  The 

early  morning  start  had  been  made  without 

199 


% 

Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

noise  or  confusion.  The  muleteers  knew  abso¬ 
lutely  nothing  of  their  destination.  Hence  no 
one  could  extract  from  them  any  reliable  infor¬ 
mation.  (This  had  been  a  rule  of  procedure 
thus  far.  The  muleteers  were  under  ‘'sealed 
orders.") 

The  ruins  of  Jerash  were  left  behind,  as  the 
crest  of  a  hill  was  turned,  two  or  three  villages 
were  passed  on  the  road,  which  led  up  and  down 
over  gentle  hills  and  broad  valleys,  until  Reimun 
was  reached.  This  may  possibly  be  the  Ramoth 
Gilead  of  the  Bible.  Surely  the  site  was  most 
suitable,  but,  alas,  the  village  has  sunk  to  the 
lowest  grade  of  poverty  and  squalor.  Many 
huts  were  seen,  built  in  wigwam  style, — stalks 
of  grain  or  reed  coated  over  with  rnud. 

If  this  were  indeed  the  true  site  of  Ramoth 
Gilead,  then  the  tourists  were  on  historic  ground. 
Moses  appointed  this  city,  with  five  others,  to  be 
a  city  of  refuge.^  It  became  also  an  important 
place  and  seat  of  government.  Solomon  made 
it  one  of  his  commissariat  stations,*  whence 
might  be  supplied  the  daily  necessities  for  his 
table  in  Jerusalem.  The  requirements  were 
prodigious.®  The  list  would  seem  to  indicate 
that  quantity,  not  variety,  was  the  chief  stipu- 

*  Deut.  iv.  43.  2  I  Kings  iv.  13.  >1  Kings  iv.  22-28. 

200 


A  Quest  for  Water 

lation.  It  is  even  so  at  the  present  time.  An 
oriental  bill  of  fare  undergoes  slight  changes, 
except  in  amount. 

But  the  chief  claim  of  this  city  to  distinction  is 
that  Ahab,  the  infamous  king  and  husband  of  the 
more  infamous  Jezebel,  met  his  death  here  at  the 
hands  of  a  certain  man,  who  drew  a  bow  at  a 
venture.”  How  black  is  the  page  of  the  sacred 
record,  which  contains  the  names  of  Ahab  and 
Jezebel  I  The  only  redeeming  feature  is  the 
necessary  intermingling  of  the  story  of  Elijah. 

After  Ahab  had  gained  a  decisive  victory  at 
Aphek  in  Jaulan  over  his  long-time  enemy, 
Benhadad,  the  Syrian,  he  displeased  the  Lord  by 
his  lenient  and  foolish  treatment  of  his  royal 
prisoner,  and  received  a  well-deserved  rebuke.' 
He  returned  to  Samaria,  angry  at  the  Lord's 
reproof,  and  peevish  as  a  little  child.  He  wanted 
Naboth's  vineyard,  and  his  childish  wish  was 
gratified.  But  appended  to  it  was  a  terrible 
curse  from  the  lips  of  Elijah.  That  sturdy 
prophet  appeared  finally  to  the  conscience- 
smitten  Ahab,  and  pronounced  a  bloody  ending 
to  the  wretched  king's  career.  In  the  place 
where  dogs  licked  the  blood  of  Naboth  shall 
dogs  lick  thy  blood,  even  thine.”  “ 

*  I  Kings  XX.  28-42.  8 1  Kings  xxi.  19. 


201 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Two  years  passed  by  after  this  event,  but  the 
fulfillment  was  delayed.  Possibly  the  dire 
prophecy  was  forgotten  by  Ahab.  God  never 
forgets.  In  the  third  year  came  Jehoshaphat, 
King  of  Judah,  to  pay  a  visit  to  his  royal  neigh¬ 
bor.^  He  was  entertained  sumptuously  (accord¬ 
ing  to  prevailing  Eastern  ideas).  Sheep  and  oxen 
were  slaughtered  in  abundance,  and  his  attend¬ 
ants  allowed  to  gorge  themselves.  When  all 
were  feeling  happy,  Ahab,  the  crafty  ruler,  pro¬ 
posed  a  joint  expedition  against  the  Syrian  mon¬ 
arch,  to  compel  him  to  keep  his  promises,^  and 
more  especially  to  surrender  Ramoth  Gilead,  the 
key  to  the  eastern  situation. 

jehoshaphat,  really  a  good  and  a  pious  man, 
felt  averse  to  joining  with  his  infamous  neighbor. 
He  would  enquire  of  the  Lord  through  the 
prophets.  Ahab  readily  assented,  for  he  had  his 
prophets  well  trained.  One  of  them  even  placed 
horns  of  iron  upon  his  head,  thus  representing 
how  Ahab  would  push  the  Syrians  out  of  the 
country.  One  poor  fellow,  who  insisted  on  tell¬ 
ing  the  truth,  was  put  into  prison  and  fed  on  the 
bread  and  water  of  affliction.”  His  metaphor 
of  “all  Israel  scattered  upon  the  hills,  as  sheep 
that  have  not  a  shepherd,”  had  reached  its  mark, 

*  I  Kings  xxii.  2.  *  i  Kings  xx.  34. 


202 


A  Guest  for  Water 

however,  and  Ahab  went  disguised  into  the  bat¬ 
tle  at  Ramoth  Gilead. 

Now  this  ruse  did  not  work  with  entire  satis¬ 
faction  to  the  other  king;  for  Jehoshaphat  found 
himself  the  recipient  of  great  attention, — he  was 
the  centre  of  attraction.  The  Syrians  had  been 
ordered  to  direct  their  force  against  the  king,  and 
they  did  so,  without  discriminating  between 
Ahab  and  Jehoshaphat.  Poor,  innocent  Jehosha¬ 
phat  was  so  hard-pressed  that  he  could  escape 
only  by  crying  out  that  they  had  the  wrong  man. 

Ahab  did  not  profit  by  his  scheme.  God’s 
sovereignty  was  upheld  by  man’s  free  agency. 
One  of  the  Syrian  archers  placed  an  arrow  on  his 
bow,  and  without  taking  aim,  in  his  simplicity,” 
as  the  margin  reads,  let  it  fly.  It  reached  a  vital 
point  beneath  the  armor  of  Ahab,  and  he  fell 
mortally  wounded.  His  life-blood  ebbed  away 
till  the  eventide,  when  he  sank  in  the  midst  of  his 
chariot.  Then  the  word  was  passed  from  mouth 
to  mouth,  Every  man  to  his  city,  and  every  man 
to  his  own  country.”  A  king  had  fallen. 

The  chariot  was  driven  just  as  it  was  to  the 

royal  city  of  Samaria,  and  there  was  washed  in 

the  pool.  ''And  the  dogs  licked  up  his  blood 

.  .  .  according  unto  the  word  of  the  Lord 

which  he  spake.”  Thus  did  the  dogs,  the  home- 

g03 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

less,  ownerless,  outcast  scavengers  of  Syria,  ful¬ 
fill  the  prophecy  of  Elijah. 

Again,  after  the  lapse  of  a  dozen  years,  Ramoth 
Gilead  figured  once  more  in  the  history  of  Israel, 
this  time  in  connection  with  Jehoram,  the  son  of 
Ahab.'  He  had  gone  out  to  the  east-Jordan  coun¬ 
try  with  Ahaziah,  his  ally,  and  had  been  severely 
wounded  in  Ramoth  Gilead  in  a  battle  with  the 
irrepressible  Syrians.  Upon  his  removal  to  Jez- 
reel  for  healing,  Jehu,  one  of  his  captains,  raised 
a  revolt,  and  was  proclaimed  king  by  the  soldiers. 
Then  he  mounted  his  chariot  and  drove  headlong 
from  Ramoth  Gilead  to  Jezreel,  and  amid  the 
slaughter  of  all  Ahab’s  house,  together  with  the 
frightful,  but  well-deserved  death  of  jezebel, 
Jehu  assumed  the  reins  of  government.  Thus 
was  Ramoth  Gilead  again  connected  with  the 
fulfillment  of  prophecy  in  the  destruction  of  the 
house  of  Ahab,  root  and  branch. 

Reimdn  is  in  the  midst  of  a  hilly7  wooded  dis¬ 
trict.  The  vision  of  the  prophet  was  in  place, 
I  saw  all  Israel  scattered  upon  the  hills,  as  sheep 
that  have  not  a  shepherd.”*  The  travellers,  hav¬ 
ing  no  guide,  were  often  at  a  loss  to  know  the 
right  road,  nor  were  there  many  wayfarers. 
The  path  led  up  and  over  a  high  ridge  covered 
1  2  Kings  viii.  28,  etc.  *  l  Kings  xxii.  17. 


204 


A  Quest  for  Water 

with  forests,  then  on  and  up  again,  until  the 
tourists  emerged  upon  a  high  point  to  the  south 
of  their  previous  camp  at  'Ajlun,  with  the  castle 
Rubud  in  full  view  across  the  mighty  gorge. 
The  noonday  rest  and  lunch  were  enjoyed  under 
the  olives  near  'Anjara,  with  Rubud  ever  in  sight. 

Then  westward  they  went,  above  the  great 
valley,  to  Kefrenjy,  where  a  council  was  held  as 
to  routes.  The  deep  valley  led  down  in  a  south¬ 
westerly  course  to  the  plain  of  the  Jordan,  invit¬ 
ing  to  the  travellers,  because  (as  described  by  a 
villager),  it  was  perfectly  easy, — a  carriage  road 
in  directness  and  smoothness.  “Need  a  guide? 
No!  Couldn't  possibly  lose  the  way."  The 
many  good  points  of  this  route  overcame  the 
counter-attractions  of  a  night  at  Helaweh,  the 
possible  site  of  Jabesh  Gilead.  The  river  route 
offered  abundance  of  water,  while  at  Helaweh 
there  were  only  cisterns,  and  those  liable  to  be 
nearly  dry. 

So  the  line  of  march  was  once  more  resumed, 
and  it  was  the  expectation  that  the  Jordan  plain 
would  soon  be  reached.  All  went  well  for  a 
while,  until  the  ever-winding  stream  in  the  gorge 
was  crossed  and  the  other  bank  ascended.  That 
was  the  false  move.  The  river  should  not  have 
been  crossed.  They  seemed,  however,  to  be  fol- 

205 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

lowing  the  course,  though  its  resemblance  to  the 
above-mentioned  carriage  road  was  exceedingly 
faint.  Fortunately,  the  animals  were  all  watered 
at  the  stream  and  were  ready  to  push  on. 

The  path  led  upward  and  away  from  the  water, 
past  large  boulders  and  along  a  level  plateau.  It 
seemed  to  be  a  well-trodden  path.  But  all  at 
once  it  disappeared, — swallowed  up  in  a  field  of 
ploughed  ground, — nor  could  the  most  minute 
and  extended  search  reveal  its  continuation. 

There  the  travellers  were,  high  and  dry,  up 
above  the  desired  Jordan  plain,  and  the  sun  sink¬ 
ing  ever  lower  in  the  west.  The  only  compen¬ 
sation  for  this  untimely  altitude  was  the  marvel¬ 
lous  view.  It  surpassed  even  that  from  Rubud 
castle.  Now  this  point  is  marked  in  Baedeker 
with  a  triple  star,  simply  because  the  compiler  of 
that  valuable  guide-book  undoubtedly  never  had 
occasion  to  view  the  world  from  this  thor¬ 
oughfare.” 

The  wanderers  realized  that  something  must 

be  done.  It  would  be  ignominious  to  retrace 

their  steps;  it  seemed  impossible  to  go  forward. 

But  they  must  leave  the  plateau  and  strive  to 

reach  a  lower  level.  With  some  difficulty  the 

horses  were  led  down  a  steep,  rocky  hillside  to  a 

second  and  lower  plateau.  Here,  too,  no  roads 

206 


A  Quest  for  Water 

were  found,  and  affairs  looked  far  from  prepos¬ 
sessing.  The  tourists  were  ready  to  pitch  camp 
then  and  there.  The  muleteers  were  taken  into 
council.  “Put  up  the  tents  and  make  the  best 
of  it  in  this  dry  place.  Count  it  a  night  in  your 
experience,”  was  the  suggestion  offered.  What, 
pass  the  night  without  water!  Impossible!  What 
would  their  mules  do,  and  what  would  they  do  ? 
The  idea  could  not  be  entertained. 

One  of  them  remembered  to  have  noticed  a 
slight  path  leading  down  a  gully  toward  the  left. 
It  was  only  a  goat  path,  or  used  by  wood-chop¬ 
pers,  but  it  was  a  path,  and  take  it  they  would! 
The  risk  of  defeat  was  great.  A  massive  boul¬ 
der,  or  a  steep  declivity,  or  any  one  of  number¬ 
less  hindrances  might  stop  them  in  their  way. 
The  sun  was  nearing  the  horizon,  and  the  plain 
was  far  away. 

They  first  took  a  zigzag  path  down  a  rough, 
steep  hillside,  where  a  false  step  by  horse  or 
mule  would  send  him  to  sure  death.  It  is  su¬ 
perfluous  to  state  that  the  travellers  walked, 
leading  their  horses.  They  reached  the  narrow 
gully,  where  a  winter  torrent  had  scoured  the 
bed-rocks  in  the  channel,  till  they  almost  shone. 
Here  was  indeed  a  geometrical  progression  of 

difficulties.  The  first  descent  from  the  highest 

207 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

plateau  had  seemed  hard;  the  next  was  danger¬ 
ous;  the  one  before  them  seemed  impassable. 

But  the  muleteers  were  spurred  on  by  the  in¬ 
born  Syrian  craving  for  water.  Deprive  him  of 
all  else,  but  allow  him  water  at  all  times  of  day 
and  night!  David  took  from  Saul  a  precious 
article,  when  he  carried  off  by  night  the  jug  of 
water  placed  for  easy  convenience  at  the  king’s 
bolster,  out  in  the  wilderness  of  Judaea.  ^  Much 
of  the  Bible  imagery,  narrative  and  illustration 
can  be  understood  only  with  a  full  realization  of 
the  intense  desire  for  water  among  the  people  of 
the  Orient.  A  westerner  can  curb  his  thirst,  and 
be  influenced  by  decisive  circumstances.  The 
oriental  drinks  at  every  fountain  and  in  every 
house, — and  his  thirst  continues. 

The  thought  of  a  night  without  water  had 
sent  the  muleteers  down  over  a  declivity  danger¬ 
ous  in  the  extreme.  They  pushed  ahead  over 
pebbles  and  rocks  and  boulders,  sliding  on 
treacherous  slabs  worn  smooth  by  the  winter 
waters.  The  travellers  cautiously  followed  their 
thirsty  guides,  fearful  of  consequences  to  limbs 
of  struggling  horses.  As  they  passed  over  the 
slippery  rocks,  the  query  of  Amos  received  re¬ 
newed  verification,  “Shall  horses  run  upon  the 

1 1  Sam.  xxvi.  12. 

208 


A  Quest  for  Water 

rock  ?  ”  *  And  what  if  this  progress  should  posi¬ 
tively  be  stopped  ?  Could  they  ever  retrace  their 
steps  ?  This  mad  plunge  continued  till  the  sun’s 
red  orb  was  hid  behind  the  western  ranges,  when 
they  emerged  finally  and  with  a  shout  of  triumph 
onto  the  plain  of  the  Jordan. 

That  had  been  a  novel  experience  in  rough 
roads,  far  better  in  the  retrospect  than  the  actu¬ 
ality.  It  was  uniquel 

But  the  day’s  labor  was  not  yet  ended.  No 
water  was  in  sight.  The  Jordan  was  far  away 
across  the  wide  plain,  and  water  to  the  north 
was  a  discouraging  uncertainty.  Yet  the  mule¬ 
teers  were  determined  to  keep  moving,  till  they 
landed  in  the  lake  itself,  provided  no  water  were 
found  before  that.  Wearily  the  tired  pack-ani¬ 
mals  plodded  along.  The  colors  faded  out  on 
the  bare  mountain-sides.  Long  after  dark  some 
shepherds,  camping  near  the  roadside,  gave  the 
information  that  a  cistern  was  ahead  *‘one 
cigarette.”  That  cigarette  could  never  have  been 
lighted,  for  the  cistern  never  appeared. 

Then  the  road  was  lost  in  the  thick  darkness, 
and  with  difficulty  found  by  the  closest  scrutiny. 
A  viper  hissed  in  the  roadside,  unseen  but  not 
unheard.  The  way  stretched  out  interminably 

*  Amos  vi.  12. 

209 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

over  slightly  rolling  ground.  Patience  was  tried 
again  and  again,  as  the  dried-up  water-courses 
were  reached  and  passed.  Job  had  evidently 
been  tempted  thus,  for  he  wrote  “My  brethren 
have  dealt  deceitfully  as  a  brook,  and  as  the 
stream  of  brooks  they  pass  away;  which  are 
blackish  by  reason  of  the  ice,  and  wherein  the 
snow  is  hid:  what  time  they  wax  warm,  they 
vanish :  when  it  is  hot,  they  are  consumed  out  of 
their  place.  The  paths  of  their  way  are  turned 
aside;  they  go  to  nothing,  and  perish.”^  Each 
depression  seemed  to  promise  relief.  None  was 
»  to  be  found.  Courage  and  hope  were  spent. 

At  last  the  glad  sound  of  running  water  was 
heard,  faint  at  first,  then  growing  louder.  It  was 
a  little  stream  below  the  path,  flowing  in  a  nar¬ 
row  channel  through  a  field  of  stones.  Darkness 
reigned,  an  absolute  monarch;  but  the  loads 
were  put  down  without  ceremony  in  the  stony 
plot,  and  enough  of  the  stones  removed  to  fur¬ 
nish  a  place  for  the  tired  beasts.  They  had  had 
a  memorable  day, — nearly  fourteen  hours  of 
solid  work! 

No  attempt  was  made  to  unpack  or  set  up 
tents, — no  one  had  the  energy  to  try  it.  A  cold 
meal  was  “picked  up,”  (the  third  cold  one  for 

‘Jobvi.  15-18. 

210 


A  Quest  for  Water 

the  day) .  Beds  were  placed  amongst  the  stones  in 
the  open  field,  and  the  reward  of  all  the  toil  came 
in  refreshing  sleep.  Fatigue  vanished  in  the  night, 
just  as  the  thirst  had  departed,  when  the  little 
rivulet  of  flowing  water  offered  of  its  precious 
self  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  thirsty  wayfarers. 

Such  an  experience  adds  vividness  to  all  the 
sacred  allusions  to  water  and  its  value. 

“And  Abraham  reproved  Abimelech  because 
of  a  well  of  watery  which  Abimelech's  servants 
had  violently  taken  away.”^ 

“And  there  was  no  water  for  the  people  to 
drink.  Wherefore  the  people  did  chide  with 
Moses.”  ^ 

“Thou  shalt  sell  me  meat  for  money,  that  I 
may  eat;  and  give  me  water  for  money,  that  I 
may  drink.”  ^ 

“  He  shall  bless  thy  bread,  and  thy  water.”  ^ 

“Thou  hast  not  given  water  to  the  weary  to 
drink,  and  thou  hast  withholden  bread  from  the 
hungry.”® 

“  He  leadeth  me  beside  the  still  waters.”  ® 

“Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the 
waters.”  ’ 

>Gen.  xxi.  25 ;  xxvi.  19-21.  *Ex.  xv.  24;  xvii.  i,  2. 

3  Deut.  ii.  28.  ^  Ex.  xxiii.  25.  »  Job  xxii.  7, 

«  Ps.  xxiii,  2,  ’  Isa,  Iv.  i. 

211 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

**  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  Me,  and 
drink/' ^ 

“  And  He  showed  me  a  pure  river  of  water  of 
life,  clear  as  crystal,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne 
of  God  and  of  the  Lamb.”^ 

*  John  iv,  14,  15 ;  vii,  37.  *Rev.  xxii.  1. 


212 


f 


\ 


V 


XIX 


% 


THE  FORD  OF  THE  JORDAN 

As  the  tourists  awoke  from  refreshing  sleep  in 
their  stony  camping-place,  they  were  glad  to  see 
in  the  morning  light  what  darkness  had  wrapped 
in  impenetrable  gloom.  They  had  descended 
from  the  heights  of  ’Ajlun  to  the  depressed  Ghor 
of  the  Jordan.  On  the  one  side  rose  the  moun¬ 
tains,  and  far  across  the  wide  plain  the  cleft  of 
the  sacred  river  could  be  followed. 

This  Ghor,  the  great  “plain  of  the  Jordan,”  is 
one  of  the  characteristic  features  of  Biblical  to¬ 
pography.  It  varies  in  width.  In  some  places 
it  embraces  a  plain  nearly  a  dozen  miles  across. 
This  is  what  Lot  saw  when  he  “lifted  up  his 
eyes,  and  beheld  all  the  plain  of  Jordan,  that 
it  was  well  watered  everywhere,  even  as  the 
garden  of  the  Lord.”  This  strip  of  country  is 
intensely  hot  and  equally  fertile.  It  is  inhabited 
almost  exclusively  by  Bedawin,  whose  lazy 
habits  and  meagre  wants  enable  them  to  endure 

the  burning  heat  with  a  minimum  of  physical 

213 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

inconvenience.  They  pitch  their  rude  camps 
along  the  river-bottoms  and  exist.  Not  even  the 
otherwhere  potent  offer  of  money  could  induce 
the  lazy  Bedawin  to  act  as  guides.  Many  a  time 
the  travellers,  in  their  way  toward  the  river 
across  the  perplexing  rolling  land  and  streams 
and  marshy  plots  in  the  Ghor,  made  trial  of  the 
lounging  Arabs.  It  was  of  no  avail.  They 
would  not  budge  an  inch.  There  they  lay  along 
the  ground,'  sunning  themselves,  like  lizards 
upon  a  rock,  and  counted  it  an  effort  to  raise 
their  hands  to  point  toward  the  road.  They 
were  contented.  There  was  tobacco  in  their 
long-stemmed  pipes  and  probably  enough  meal 
in  the  tent  to  last  a  few  days,  and  what  more  did 
they  crave?  One  old  Bedawy  along  the  way 
was  seen  to  produce  a  dirty  bag  from  within  the 
bosom  of  his  tattered  garment,  extract  a  hand¬ 
ful  of  millet  (or  some  other  cheap  grain),  mix 
this  with  some  dirty  water,  shape  the  dough  into 
a  rough  cake,  lay  it  on  a  smooth  stone,  bake  it 
(?)  under  the  hot  sun,  and  then  eat  it  with  evi¬ 
dent  relish.  That  constituted  his  noon  meal. 
And  doubtless  all  the  others  were  similar. 

This  great  stretch  of  low  land  may  once  have 

been  the  basin  of  a  great  lake.  But  the  waters 

have  subsided  and  left  only  a  stream  and  smaller 

214 


The  Ford  of  the  Jordan 

lakes,  remarkable  for  their  history  as  well  as  for 
their  physical  peculiarities. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  not  until  this  century 
did  the  world  know  the  truth  about  the  marvel¬ 
lous  depression  of  this  valley.  In  1837  an  Amer¬ 
ican  lieutenant,  Lynch,  explored  the  Jordan  and 
the  Dead  Sea,  and  found  that  they  lay  below  the 
level  of  the  Mediterranean!  What  must  have 
been  his  feelings,  as  he  travelled  the  length  of 
the  sacred  water-course,  to  discover  his  instru¬ 
ments  gradually  recording  the  fact  that  he  was 
sinking  below  the  ocean!  At  the  waters  of 
Merom  he  was  but  six  feet  and  a  half  above  the 
sea  level.  When  he  reached  Galilee,  he  had  de¬ 
scended  to  a  point  six  hundred  and  eighty-two 
feet  below  the  Mediterranean,  and  finally,  as  he 
emerged  upon  the  great  expanse  of  salt  water  at 
the  Dead  Sea,  he  had  reached  the  lowest  known 
spot  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  twelve  hundred 
and  ninety-three  feet  below  sea  level! 

The  Jordan  is  a  river  which  has  made  the  most 
of  its  opportunities.  In  a  straight  distance  of 
one  hundred  and  thirty-six  miles  it  has  managed 
to  lengthen  itself  by  twistings  and  turnings  to 
almost  twice  the  above  distance.  In  one  place  it 
runs  due  north!  And  more  than  that,  in  the 

same  distance  it  descends  three  thousand  feet! 

216 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Contrary  to  the  popular  idea,  the  Jordan  is  a  nar¬ 
row  river.  Its  current  is  very  swift,  and  it  is 
impassable  except  at  certain  points,  where  it 
broadens  into  a  somewhat  shallow  stream.  It  is 
not  surprising  that  the  Jordan  is  a  muddy  river. 
For  its  banks  are  of  clay,  and  wage  a  losing  war¬ 
fare  against  the  allied  forces  of  swift  current  and 
sharp  loops.  Bridges  are  few  and  ancient,  most 
of  them  were  ruined  remains.  One,  the  Jisr  el 
Mijamia,  still  'does  a  good  business  in  the  winter 
months,  when  the  fords  are  dangerous  or  impass¬ 
able.  Much  of  the  grain  from  Hauran  passes  on 
camels  over  this  ancient  bridge.  The  Jordan  has 
three  banks,^  one  above  another.  The  low¬ 
est  one, — the  true  channel  of  the  river, — is  nar¬ 
row  and  sunk  far  below  the  surrounding  level. 
This  is  its  course  during  the  fall  and  winter. 
One  standing  at  the  water’s  edge  finds  his  view 
almost  completely  intercepted.  The  next  bank 
consists  of  soft,  sedimentary  deposit,  which  con¬ 
fines  the  river  in  its  fuller  course.  When  the 
hot  sun  of  late  spring  and  summer  melts  the 
snows  of  Hermon,  then  the  river  swells  to  its 
greatest  proportions  and  often  rises  to  the  level 
of  the  third  bank,  which  is  lined  with  trees, 
bushes  and  undergrowth.  The  Jordan  at  this 

*  Joshua  iii.  15. 

216 


V 


The  Ford  of  the  Jordan 


level  is  a  formidable  stream.  It  is  noted  of 
David’s  most  valiant  warriors,  as  a  mark  of 
special  strength  and  courage,  that  they  ‘‘went 
over  the  Jordan  in  the  first  month,  when  it  had 
overflown  all  his  banks,”  ^ — that  is,  they  swam 
the  swollen  stream. 

The  Jordan  is  the  river  of  fancy  and  imagina¬ 
tion.  Poets  have  sung  of  it,  devotional  writers 
have  used  it  as  a  figure  of  death  from  time  im¬ 
memorial.  Every  one,  young  and  old,  has 
painted  some  mental  picture  of  this  sacred 
stream.  The  hymn-writers  have  woven  the 
thought  of  the  swift-flowing  stream  into  many 
a  hymn  of  heaven  and  release  from  the  burdens 
of  this  life.  Yet  not  all  allusions  to  the  Jordan 
are  adapted  to  the  true  facts.  One  beautiful 
poem  begins  with  this  stanza: 

*•  Like  an  arrow  from  the  quiver, 

To  the  sad  and  lone  Dead  Sea 
Thou  art  rushing,  rapid  river. 

Swift,  and  strong,  and  silently.” 

At  the  risk  of  seeming  to  question  the  poetic 
license  it  is  permissible  to  state  the  fact  that  no 
arrow  could  possibly  pursue  the  crooked  course 
adopted  by  the  Jordan. 

This  well-known  river  forms  a  natural  and 

I  I  Chron.  xii.  I3» 

217 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

well-defined  boundary,  and  in  all  times  has 
sharply  divided  between  east  and  west.  The  Is¬ 
raelites  were  accustomed  to  the  phrases  “over 
Jordan,”  “on  the  other  side  of  Jordan,”  “beyond 
Jordan,”  and  similar  expressions.  Even  the 
peoples  that  inhabited  the  different  sections  were 
dissimilar.  The  eastern  nations  were  rugged  and 
uncouth,  and  lived  by  war  and  plunder.  Those 
to  the  west  were  amenable  to  law  and  progress. 

The  historical  references  to  the  sacred  river 
form  an  interesting  part  of  Holy  Writ.  The  Jor¬ 
dan  is  mentioned  nearly  two  hundred  times!  It 
is  connected  with  incidents  varying  widely  in 
character.  The  “  great  plain  of  Jordan  ”  ^  tempted 
Lot  to  his  final  downfall.  This  is  the  first  men¬ 
tion  of  the  Jordan  river.  In  opposite  mood  the 
Patriarch  Jacob,  when  he  set  out  from  home  to 
seek  his  fortune,  crossed  the  river  eastward.^ 
Later  on  his  descendants,  the  Israelites,  under 
Joshua’s  leadership  miraculously  passed  over  on 
dry  land,  and  took  twelve  stones  from  the  bed 
of  the  stream  to  rear  as  a  memorial  pillar.^  It 
was  the  grief  of  Moses’  life  that  he  was  not  per¬ 
mitted  to  cross  the  stream.* 

During  the  period  of  the  Judges  many  stirring 

2  Gen.  xxxii.  lo, 

4  Deut.  iii,  25. 


1  Gen.  xiii.  10. 
3  Josh,  iv,  20. 


S18 


The  Ford  of  the  Jordan 

events  transpired  at  the  Jordan.  Ehud,  the  left- 
handed  deliverer  of  Israel,  gathered  his  men  at 
the  fords  of  Jordan  and  slew  ten  thousand 
Moabites.^ 

The  episode  of  Gideon  and  his  doings  Ms  pecul¬ 
iarly  interesting,  because  it  illustrates  the  crude 
ideas  of  justice  and  the  qualities  of  leadership 
displayed  in  those  days.  The  Midianites  had 
crossed  the  Jordan  in  great  numbers  and  gathered 
on  the  plain  of  Jezreel.  Where  was  the  man  to 
rise  up  as  champion  of  Israel  ?  Gideon  was  the 
hero  ordained  of  God.  He  belonged  to  a  poor 
family  of  Manasseh.  After  receiving  convincing 
signs  that  he  should  succeed,  he  assembled  his 
followers  from  all  the  neighboring  tribes  (except 
Ephraim).  But  the  Lord  wished  to  reveal  His 
power  unto  Gideon  and  to  Israel,  and  therefore 
told  him  to  send  back  all  the  cowards.  These 
amounted  to  twenty-two  thousand!  Yet  there 
were  ten  thousand  left, — far  too  many  for  the 
purposes  of  God. 

Then  a  strange  choice  was  made.  They  were 
all  hurried  pellmell  down  to  the  water,  so  that  they 
arrived  very  thirsty.  All  but  three  hundred  of  the 
men  hastened  to  the  river’s  edge,  knelt  down,  put 
their  faces  to  the  water,  and  drank  without  stint. 

1  Judges  ii.  28,29,  *  Judges  vi,  7,8, 

219 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

These  were  rejected,  because  they  evinced  lack 
of  prudence  and  self-control.  Caution,  too,  was 
wanting.  The  enemy  might  have  gained  an  ad¬ 
vantage  while  they  were  thus  kneeling  and  in¬ 
attentive  to  their  surroundings.  Such  men  were 
not  the  best  for  the  delicate  expedition  proposed 
by  the  Lord. 

The  other  three  hundred  did  not  kneel  down, 
but  merely  bending  the  knee,  and  with  one  eye 
upon  their  duty,  quenched  their  thirst  by  dipping 
one  hand  in  the  stream  and  dexterously  throwing 
handful  after  handful  of  the  refreshing  water  into 
their  mouths,  just  as  a  dog  flings  the  water  into 
his  mouth  by  a  quick  movement  of  his  tongue.^ 
These  three  hundred  were  prepared  to  spring 
instantly  to  attack  or  defence  without  the  loss  of 
a  moment.  And  they  stood  in  need  of  all  their 
prudence  and  self-restraint.  For  the  enemy  num¬ 
bered  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  thousand  men.* 

That  night  they  gained  an  overwhelming  victory 
by  the  use  of  pottery  jugs,  torches  and  trumpets. 
The  remnant  of  the  Midianites  fled  precipitately 
toward  the  ford  of  the  Jordan.  Gideon  sent  word 
to  Ephraim  to  cut  off  their  escape  at  the  fords. 
As  a  result  many  of  them  were  slain,  and  among 
them  two  princes. 

» Judges  vii.  5. 


220 


*  Judges  viii.  10, 


The  Ford  of  the  Jordan 

Gideon  and  his  men,  faint,  yet  pursuing,” 
hastened  after  the  fugitives,  even  though  the 
provisions  were  exhausted,  and  the  citizens  of 
Succoth  and  Penuel  refused  to  feed  his  followers. 
This  was  a  marked  breech  of  hospitality,  which 
did  not  pass  unnoticed.  On  his  triumphal  return, 
he  took  occasion  to  look  in  upon  these  two  places 
as  he  passed.  Succoth’s  officials  and  city  council 
he  caught,  and  with  a  collection  of  thorns  and 
briers,  as  the  record  says,  he  “  taught  the  men  of 
Succoth  ”  I  Penuel  he  laid  waste  and  killed  its 
citizens. 

Jephthah,  the  Gileadite  judge,  is  also  worthy  of 
mention  in  connection  with  the  fords  of  the  Jor¬ 
dan.^  When  the  Ephraimites  from  the  west  of  the 
river  thought  to  bully  him,  because  he  had  fought 
a  battle  without  their  aid,  he  sent  some  of  his  men 
to  hold  the  fords  of  the  Jordan,  and  with  the  rest 
routed  the'  men  of  Ephraim,  so  that  they  fled 
homeward.  But  at  the  great  river  they  fell  into 
difficulties  of  a  linguistic  nature.  Being  asked  to 
say  something  about  the  stream,  they  would  in¬ 
variably  say  “Sibboleth,”  whereas  an  east- 
Jordaner  would  call  it  Shibboleth.”  This 
lingual  impediment  cost  the  lives  of  forty-two 
thousand  Ephraimites.  Nor  is  it  an  unlikely  story. 

>Judgesxii.  i-6. 

m 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Dialectical  differences  in  Syria  and  Palestine  are 
more  marked  than  those  between  North  and 
South,  East  and  West  in  America.  The  teacher 
in  Arabic,  whose  school  is  far  distant  from 
his  native  place,  frequently  finds  himself  in  the 
dilemma  of  the  lisping  pedagogue  who  tried  to 
teach  his  pupils  the  sound  of  s."  The  nektht 
letter  ith  *eth.'  But  don’t  thay  eth  ath  I  thay 
eth  ;  thay  eth.'" 

The  Jordan  river,  although  no  city  has  ever 
stood  upon  its  banks,  nevertheless  could  boast 
two  useful  institutions  in  its  immediate  vicinity. 
One  was  a  brass  foundry  of  immense  proportions, 
near  to  Succoth,  where  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  had 
all  the  brassware  for  the  temple  cast  in  the  clayey 
ground  found  thereabout.  So  much  brass  was 
used  in  making  the  various  utensils,  that  no  one 
ever  ascertained  the  weight  of  it.^ 

The  second  institution  was  a  theological  semi¬ 
nary  conducted  by  Elisha.  As  far  as  is  known,  no 
question  has  ever  been  raised  as  to  the  orthodoxy 
of  this  school.  Indeed,  the  pupils  exhibited  some 
excellent  traits  of  character.  One  of  them  lost  an 
axe  head  in  the  Jordan,  and  was  specially  dis¬ 
turbed  because  it  was  borrowed !  ^ 

Naaman,  the  Syrian  leper-prince,  dipped  seven 
*  Kings  vii.  46,  47.  2  Kings  vii.  1-7. 


222 


The  Ford  of  the  Jordan 


times  in  Jordan,  perhaps  at  the  very  ford  where 
three  travellers  recently  dipped  also,  but  not  for 
the  same  reasond 

David,  the  fugitive  king,  fled  over  Jordan  by 
night,  but  on  his  return,  triumphant,  yet  mourn¬ 
ful,  he  found  a  ferryboat  set  aside  for  his  use, 
and  was  accompanied  by  that  lovable  old  char¬ 
acter,  Barzillai,  eighty  years  of  age.^ 

One  more  scene  of  the  Old  Testament  must 
be  mentioned, — the  majestic  translation  of  the 
[  Prophet  of  Fire,  Elijah.  As  in  service  sudden  in 
appearance,  fierce  in  denunciation,  and  dramatic 
in  action;  so  in  his  departure  the  fire  of  heaven 
shaped  itself  to  his  need.  Strange  it  is  that  he 
delayed  his  ascension, — not  in  Gilgal,  not  in 
Bethel,  not  in  Jericho, — until  he  had  crossed  the 
Jordan  with  Elisha,  and  there,  in  the  borders  of 
his  own  Gilead,  the  mighty  prophet  left  this 
earth,  swept  by  a  whirlwind  to  heaven  in  a 
chariot  of  flaming  fire.^ 

But  the  cup  of  Jordan’s  honor  was  not  yet  full. 
There  remained  one  crowning  event.^  Hundreds 
of  years  after  that  fiery  ascension  a  quiet  scene 
occurred  at  one  of  the  higher  fords,  transcending 
that  manifestation  of  mighty  power,  even  as  the 

» 2  Kings  V.  14.  ®  2  Sam.  xix.  18,  31. 

3  2  Kings  ii.  I-li.  *  Matt.  iii.  13  etc. 

223 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

“still  small  voice”  surpassed  in  real  grandeur 
the  wind,  the  earthquake,  and  the  fire.  It  was 
a  scene  of  utmost  simplicity.  A  rough-clad 
preacher  stood  beside  the  flowing  waters,  pro¬ 
claiming  salvation  through  repentance.  People 
of  all  stations  in  life  thronged  to  the  ford,  im¬ 
pelled  thither  by  varying  motives.  In  the  midst 
of  his  exhortations  the  eloquent  preacher  paused. 
One  had  come,  whose  very  look  and  sinless 
beauty,  and  majestic  solemnity  of  mien  com¬ 
pelled  the  attention  of  the  prophet,  who  was 
overawed  by  the  Divine  Presence.  How  simple 
and  heartfelt  the  confession  of  human  depend¬ 
ence,  “I  have  need  to  be  baptized  of  Thee,  and 
comest  Thou  to  me  ?  ”  With  the  humble  reply, 
“Suffer  it  to  be  so  now,”  the  Son  of  God 
descended  into  the  waters  of  Jordan,  the  dove  of 
the  Divine  Spirit  rested  upon  Him,  and  from  out 
the  parted  heavens  came  the  Father’s  voice, 
“This  is  My  beloved  Son,  in  whom  1  am  well 
pleased.” 

Surely  at  that  sacred  river  the  three  travellers 

might  well  pause  in  contemplation  of  all  the 

scenes  of  sacred  history  enacted  at  its  banks. 

They,  too,  came  to  the  ford  of  the  Jordan, 

desiring  to  cross.  As  it  swept  past  them  in 

deep,  dark  currents,  there  seemed  to  be  no  way 

224 


The  Ford  of  the  Jordan 


of  passage.  But  a  Bedawy  near  at  hand  strode 
across  in  safety,  and  riders  and  loads  followed 
him,  until  all  were  across  the  stream.  The  camp 
pushed  on  to  its  destination,  while  the  travellers 
lingered  for  a  refreshing  dip  in  the  swift,  cold 
waters,  and  a  quiet  rest  beneath  the  overhanging 
shade.  Oh,  poet’s  dream,  how  many  would 
delight  to  share  that  rest,  in  the  sound  of  the 
rushing  waters,  in  sight  of  the  rolling  stream  I 

“  Through  the  dark  green  foliage  stealing, 

Like  a  silver  ray  of  light. 

Who  can  tell  the  pilgrim’s  feeling 
When  thy  waters  meet  his  sight  ? 

**  All  the  deeds  of  sacred  story, 

All  its  marvels  great  and  true, 

All  that  gives  the  Jordan  glory, 

Rush  upon  his  raptured  view ! 

****** 

«  Emblem  bright  of  Death’s  dark  River, 

Long  I  linger  on  thy  shore ; 

All  its  waves  can  harm  me  never. 

Now  the  Ark  has  gone  before.” — Anderson, 


225 


XX 


BETHSHAN,  AND  THE  IGNOMINY  OF  SAUL 

The  travellers,  leaving  the  favored  lunching- 
place  at  the  river  ford,  mounted  the  steep  western 
banks  to  the  level  of  the  great  plain,  which 
stretches  off  toward  Bethshan.  Almost  opposite 
to  this  ford,  somewhat  back  from  the  river,  lies 
the  site  of  the  little  village,  where  Elisha  was 
born, — Abel-meholah.  His  father  was  evidently 
a  well-to-do  farmer,  for  he  was  able  to  employ 
several  laborers  for  the  work  of  ploughing. 
Elijah  found  the  young  farmer  in  a  field  at  work 
with  eleven  others,  each  with  his  oxen  and 
plough.^ 

As  the  tourists  made  their  way  across  the 
wide-spreading  plain,  they  looked  toward  the 
ancient  site  and  in  imagination  could  see  a  dozen 
yoke  of  oxen  trailing  lazily  over  the  ground, 
spurred  on  by  frequent  pokes  from  the  “pricks” 
in  the  hands  of  nineteenth  century  Elishas. 

This  plain  was  once  luxuriantly  fertile.  It  was 
watered  by  many  little  rivulets,  which  afforded 

*  I  Kings  xix.  19-21, 

226 


Bethshan  and  the  Ignominy  of  Saul 

ample  moisture  for  abundant  and  easy  crops. 
Many  palms  reared  their  stately  heads.  Not 
much  of  the  ancient  beauty  remains,  though  the 
plain  is  as  fertile  as  ever  it  was. 

Beisan  itself,  the  objective  point  of  the  day’s 
travel,  is  a  Syrian  paradise  for  water.  On  every 
side  are  living  streams,  copious  fountains  and 
running  brooks.  The  place  is  a  large  and  im¬ 
portant  point  on  the  great  route  from  the  south¬ 
ern  seaports  toward  Damascus.  The  horses  of 
the  strangers  clattered  over  well-paved  streets, 
through  markets  lined  with  substantially-built 
stores  and  grain  magazines.  There,  too,  was 
found  the  ubiquitous  Judeideh  merchant, — this 
time  a  Protestant  church  member  and  a  good 
representative  of  his  sect.  He  was  delighted  to 
see  his  friends,  and  on  Sunday  evening  brought 
some  of  his  companions  to  the  tents  for  an  in¬ 
formal  service  of  song  and  prayer.  Having 
spent  long  months  away  from  church  life,  his 
soul  craved  the  fellowship,  which  the  mission¬ 
aries  were  delighted  to  give. 

The  present  town  is  but  a  faded  remnant  of  the 
old-time  city.  Then  it  filled  all  the  surrounding 
plain,  and,  leaping  a  deep  valley,  planted  itself 
upon  a  remarkable  hillock,  the  citadel  of  the  me¬ 
tropolis.  When  the  travellers  had  passed  through 

227 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

the  town,  they  emerged  upon  the  level  threshing 
floors  at  the  edge  of  a  bluff  looking  across  a  deep 
water-course  to  the  high  hillock  above  mentioned. 

The  muleteers  had  tried  to  pitch  the  tents  on 
this  level  spot,  though  the  rushing  wind  increased 
the  difficulties  of  the  operation,  and  filled  the 
tents  with  the  fine  straw  from  the  threshing 
floors, — the  “chaff,”  which  used  to  be  burned  in 
the  time  of  John  the  Baptist.^  The  tourists  at 
once  realized  the  unwisdom  of  this  choice  of 
site, — exposed  to  heat,  wind,  dust,  chaff,  boys, 
donkeys  and  thieves.  A  prompt  reconnoitre  re¬ 
vealed  a  charming  place  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff, 
at  the  rear  of  a  large  Grecian  theatre,  in  a  fig  or¬ 
chard  whose  trees  were  of  immense  size  and  af¬ 
forded  ample  shade.  This  orchard,  by  the  way, 
belongs  to  the  Sultan,  as  does  any  amount  of  the 
best  land  in  the  em.pire.  On  this  occasion  his 
majesty’s  fig-trees  were  highly- appreciated  by 
those,  who  may  not  have  considered  his  posses¬ 
sion  of  them  as  absolutely  lawful. 

This  spot  settled  upon,  the  camp  was  quickly 
shifted  down  the  steep  hill  and  as  quickly  put 
into  shape  by  many  willing  hands.  For  this  was 
to  be  a  two-night  stop,  that  the  patient  animals 
might  gain  a  well-earned  rest.  Water  was  close 

*  Matt.  iii.  12. 

228 


Bethshan  and  the  Ignominy  of  Saul 

at  hand,  though  somewhat  brackish  and  not  en¬ 
tirely  pure.  A  thirsty  traveller,  however,  does 
not  always  take  the  sanitary  precautions  which 
civilization  renders  easy. 

A  variation  in  the  usual  program  was  occa¬ 
sioned  by  the  collapse  of  the  cook.  His  usual 
high  spirits  had  suffered  a  decline  a  day  or  two 
before,  and  he  could  now  barely  drag  himself  to  a 
spot  near  the  tents,  there  to  groan  as  if  his  end 
were  near.  But  there  was  no  danger.  His  ill¬ 
ness  was  more  dramatic  than  serious,  though  dis¬ 
agreeable  to  him  and  inconvenient  to  others. 
The  tourists  set  to  work  and  soon  had  a  choice 
meal  of  omelette  and  other  delicacies.  This  re¬ 
past  having  been  finished,  there  was  nothing  to 
do  but  retire.  So  at  half  past  seven  all  sought 
welcome  rest,  trusting  for  protection  from  thieves 
to  the  intangible  influence  of  the  Sultan,  repre¬ 
sented  in  his  fig-trees.  (Possibly  a  judicious  dis¬ 
play  of  revolvers  and  other  weapons  during  the 
afternoon  removal  may  have  been  quite  as  im¬ 
pressive  as  fear  of  imperial  vengeance.) 

Next  morning  the  travellers  arose  betimes,  pre¬ 
pared  to  enjoy  a  quiet  Sabbath  of  rest  and  study 
in  the  Bible.  All  about  them  were  spread  the 
evidences  of  ancient  greatness,  and  every  point 

in  the  landscape  was  historic. 

229 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Bethshan,  long  before  the  Israelites  invaded  the 
land  of  Canaan,  had  been  a  stronghold  in  war 
and  a  centre  for  commerce.  The  Canaanites  held 
this  city  against  all  the  endeavors  of  Israel  to 
wrest  it  from  their  grasp. ^  It  was  a  renowned 
centre  of  Dagon  worship,  and  the  devotees  came 
from  afar  to  propitiate  the  powerful  god.  Dur¬ 
ing  the  glorious  reign  of  Solomon  this  place  with 
all  the  surrounding  territory  seems  to  have  been 
added  to  his  dominion  and  made  an  important 
commissariat  station  for  the  supply  of  his  royal 
needs.^ 

The  later  Grecian  name  of  Scythopolis  indicates 
the  influx  of  a  considerable  foreign  element, — 
perhaps  Scythian  settlers.  The  great  theatre  is 
also  an  evidence  of  Greek  or  other  European  oc¬ 
cupation.  This  (temporary)  Greek  city  was  also 
adorned  by  many  other  buildings, — a  hippo¬ 
drome,  colonnaded  street,  and  other  evidences  of 
former  splendor.  Scythopolis  was  also  the  chief 
city  of  the  Decapolis.  In  the  Christian  period  it 
was  important  as  the  centre  of  an  episcopal  dio¬ 
cese,  and  during  the  Crusades  was  destroyed  by 
fire  at  the  hands  of  Saladin. 

The  most  interesting  and  thrilling  narrative, 
however,  connected  with  Bethshan  is  the  recital 

1  Judges  i.  27.  2  I  Kings  iv.  12. 

230 


Bethshan  and  the  Ignominy  of  Saul 

of  Saul’s  tragic  death  and  ignominious  exposure 
on  the  walls  of  the  Philistine  cityd  How  vivid 
did  the  record  seem,  as  the  tourists  read  of  the 
episode  on  the  very  ground!  The  muleteers  had 
been  gathered  under  one  of  the  great  fig-trees, 
and  one  of  the  missionaries,  speaking  in  the 
Arabic  tongue,  which  is  particularly  adapted  to 
such  a  narrative,  read  to  them  from  the  books  of 
Samuel  of  that  disastrous  day  in  the  history  of 
Israel’s  first  king. 

And  even  more  thrilling  did  the  story  become, 
as  the  travellers  stood  upon  the  heights  of  the 
truncated  cone,  which  represented  the  citadel  of 
Bethshan.  That  great,  elevated  plateau  seemed 
almost  artificial,  so  perfect  was  it  as  an  impreg¬ 
nable  stronghold.  The  line  of  the  massive  wall 
could  be  traced  all  about  it,  and  the  site  of  the 
ancient  gateway  was  still  in  evidence. 

A  broad  sweep  of  country  fell  beneath  the 
glance  from  that  favored  view-point.  All  the 
places  connected  with  Saul’s  sad  death  were  in 
full  view.  The  mountain  of  Gilboa  rose  to  the 
west,  and  the  plain  of  Jezreel  north  of  it.  Toward 
the  east  the  Jordan  flowed  in  its  sunken  channel, 
and  beyond  it  lay  jabesh  Gilead  in  the  rising  foot¬ 
hills. 

*  I  Sam.  xxxi.  lo. 

231 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

Saul’s  career  as  king  of  Israel  had  been  a 
troubled  one,  largely  because  of  his  disobedient 
nature.  When  he  heeded  not  the  command¬ 
ment  of  the  Lord  in  saving  alive  the  sheep  and 
cattle  of  the  Amalekites  and  Agag,  the  king,  then 
Samuel  warned  him  of  his  final  end,  and  left  him, 
never  to  see  him  again,^  until  the  fearful  night, 
when  the  witch  of  Endor  brought  him  up  at 
Saul’s  request.^  The  conscience-stricken  mon¬ 
arch  seemed  to  realize  his  impending  doom. 
For  he  cried-  out  in  a  paroxysm  of  terror  and 
agony,  “I  am  sore  distressed:  for  the  Philistines 
make  war  against  me,  and  God  is  departed  from 
me,  and  answereth  me  no  more.”  The  reply  of 
the  disembodied  spirit  contained  no  comfort  for 
the  sin-burdened  warrior.  ‘'To-morrow  shalt 
thou  and  thy  sons  be  with  Me.” 

And  it  was  even  so.  The  next  day  occurred  a 
mighty  battle  in  the  plain  of  Jezreel.  The  forces 
of  Israel  were  overwhelmed  in  disastrous  defeat, 
and  were  pushed  ever  backward,  toward  the 
long  range  of  Gilboa.  Defeat  turned  to  rout, 
and  rout  resulted  in  dire  destruction.  The  slopes 
of  Gilboa  were  strewn  with  Israel’s  dead,  while 
the  victorious  Philistines  pressed  madly  on,  re¬ 
gardless  of  dead  and  dying  trampled  beneath 

>  I  Sam.  XV.  35.  *  I  Sam.  xxviii.  7-25. 

232 


Bethshan  and  the  Ignominy  of  Saul 

their  feet.  They  slew  Jonathan  and  his  brothers, 
nor  stopped  to  remove  their  bodies,  but  has¬ 
tened  after  the  royal  victim.  A  well-aimed  ar¬ 
row  pierced  his  armor,  and  his  life-blood  stained 
the  ground.  He  called  upon  his  armor-bearer  to 
thrust  him  through,  lest  the  enemy  should  do  so, 
and  gloat  over  their  deed.  But  his  servant  was 
unwilling  to  lift  the  hand  against  his  royal  mas¬ 
ter,  and  Saul  fell  upon  his  own  sword  and  per¬ 
ished. 

The  Philistines  pursued  their  advantage  all  that 
day,  reserving  till  the  morrow  the  barbarous  proc¬ 
ess  of  stripping  and  mutilating  the  dead.  They 
found  Saul  and  his  sons,  lying  where  they  had 
fallen,  and  secured  his  head  and  his  armor  as  a 
ghastly  trophy  of  victory.  A  great  day  of  re¬ 
joicing  was  proclaimed  and  the  idol  temples 
were  crowded.  Saul’s  armor  was  placed  in  the 

house  of  Ashteroth,"  while  his  headless  body, 
with  those  of  his  sons,  was  hung  in  ignominy 
upon  the  walls  of  Bethshan, — the  very  walls, 
whose  remains  appear  to-day  high  up  on  the 
great  hill  of  Beisan.  The  Israelites,  defeated  and 
crushed,  could  not  openly  avenge  this  insult. 
They  must  endure  in  silence  the  greatest  pos¬ 
sible  disgrace  to  their  nation.  So  the  bodies  of 
their  monarch  and  his  sons  remained  exposed  to 

233 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

the  taunts  and  jeers  of  the  heathen  Philistines,  to 
the  attacks  of  carrion  crows,  to  the  punishment 
of  God  in  the  elements. 

The  news  of  this  signal  disaster  spread  through¬ 
out  the  land.  Fleeing  fugitives  carried  the  word 
even  to  the  camp  of  David,  the  warrior-poet, 
who  gave  expression  to  his  unfeigned  grief  in 
that  peerless  utterance  of  loss, — the  most  exqui¬ 
site  funeral  ode  ever  penned: 


**  Thy  glory,  O  Israel,  is  slain  upon  thy  high  places  I 
How  are  the  mighty  fallen ! 

Tell  it  not  in  Gath, 

Publish  it  not  in  the  streets  of  Ashkelon ; 

Lest  the  daughters  of  the  Philistines  rejoice, 

Lest  the  daughters  of  the  uncircumcised  triumph. 

Ye  mountains  of  Gilboa, 

Let  there  be  no  dew  nor  rain  upon  you,  neither  fields 
of  offerings : 

For  there  the  shield  of  the  mighty  was  vilely  cast  away, 
The  shield  of  Saul,  not  anointed  with  oil. 

From  the  blood  of  the  slain,  from  the  fat  of  the  mighty, 
The  bow  of  Jonathan  turned  not  back, 

And  the  sword  of  Saul  returned  not  empty, 

Saul  and  Jonathan  were  lovely  and  pleasant  in  their 
lives. 

And  in  their  death  they  were  not  divided ; 

They  were  swifter  than  eagles, 

They  were  stronger  than  lions. 

Ye  daughters  of  Israel,  weep  over  Saul, 

Who  clothed  you  in  scarlet  delicately, 

Who  put  ornaments  of  gold  upon  your  apparel. 

How  are  the  mighty  fallen  in  the  midst  of  the  battle  1 

234 


Bethshan  and  the  Ignominy  of  Saul 

Jonathan  is  slain  upon  thy  high  places. 

I  am  distressed  for  thee,  my  brother  Jonathan : 

Very  pleasant  hast  thou  been  unto  me : 

Thy  love  to  me  was  wonderful, 

Passing  the  love  of  women. 

How  are  the  mighty  fallen, 

And  the  weapons  of  war  perished !  ”  i 

But  the  tale  of  death  and  ignominy  was  carried 
to  another  quarter,  where  brave  men  promptly 
conceived  a  plan  to  mitigate,  if  not  requite,  the 
insult  brought  upon  their  people.*  The  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  Jabesh  Gilead,  across  the  Jordan  from 
Bethshan,  when  they  heard  of  Saul’s  disgrace, 
were  reminded  of  the  favor  which  he  had  done 
for  them,  almost  forty  years  before,  in  saving 
them  from  the  barbarity  of  Nahash,  the  Am¬ 
monite.  Although  forty  years  had  elapsed,  and 
doubtless  all  the  “elders  of  Jabesh”  had  passed 
away,  yet  the  tale  of  Saul’s  magnanimous  ex¬ 
ploit  had  been  handed  on  from  old  to  young, 
until  the  day  when  the  favor  could  be  requited. 
That  opportunity  had  come  in  the  downfall  of 
Israel  and  the  ignominious  exposure  of  Saul's 
body  upon  the  walls  of  Bethshan. 

A  band  of  young  and  valiant  Jabeshites  set  out 
by  night  across  the  plain,  forded  the  river,  and 
stole  up  unawares  to  the  ramparts  of  the  Philis- 

*  2  Sam.  i.  19-27.  *  I  Sam.  xxxi,  7-13. 


235 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

tine  city.  Doubtless  the  heathen  citizens  were 
celebrating  their  victory  in  revelry  and  mirth,  and 
the  guards  had  relaxed  their  vigilance.  The 
rushing  of  the  waters  in  the  stream  below  cov¬ 
ered  the  ascent  of  the  daring  rescuers.  With 
great  toil  they  labored  up  the  almost  inaccessible 
hillside,  until  they  reached  the  point  where  the 
royal  bodies  were  hanging  in  disgrace.  Noise¬ 
lessly  they  lowered  them  and  returned  with  their 
burden  to  their  native  town  across  the  plain  and 
river.  There  they  burned  the  bodies  in  solemn 
assembly,  and  buried  the  bones  in  a  decent  man¬ 
ner  under  a  large  tree,  and  mourned  for  seven 
days.  Thus  did  they  repay  the  favor  which  Saul 
had  rendered  in  the  day  of  his  power. 


236 


XXI 


THE  END  OF  THE  JOURNEY 

A  Bedawy  funeral  saddened  the  thoughts  of 
the  travellers,  as  they  left  Beisan  on  their  way  to¬ 
ward  Tiberias.  Just  outside  the  town,  under  a 
spreading  oak-tree,  a  grave  had  been  dug,  and 
without  any  ceremony  and  scarce  any  one  to 
mourn,  those  wandering  sons  of  the  desert  had 
laid  away  a  lifeless  form.  A  few  women  sat 
near  by,  their  heads  bent,  perhaps  in  grief, 
though  what  know  they  of  grief  or  joy  ?  What 
feelings  can  such  creatures  entertain,  whose  lives 
are  untouched  by  all  that  raises  man  above  the 
beasts  ?  One  of  their  number  had  come  to  the 
end  of  the  journey’'  of  life,  with  no  joyful  pros¬ 
pect  of  a  glad  welcome  at  Home.  He  had  known 
no  home  on  earth,  nor  had  any  one  been  found 
to  tell  him  of  the  hea^^enly  mansions. 

How  different  was  to  be  the  ending  of  the 
other  journey!  The  travellers  with  thankful 
hearts  hastened  on  their  way.  They  were  glad 
in  the  retrospect  of  the  great  opportunity  vouch¬ 
safed  to  them  to  see  a  historic  land.  They  were 

237 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

joyful  in  the  prospect  of  the  expected  ''welcome 
home"  from  the  lips  of  friends  and  loved  ones, 
whom  they  had  entrusted  to  the  tender,  watch¬ 
ful  care  of  the  all-loving  Father. 

The  Bedawin  exist  and  die,  the  Christians  live 
in  the  joys  of  earthly  home  and  comforts,  and 
await  with  trust  the  last  summons,  when  they 
shall  be  welcomed  to  infinite  joys  in  the  heavenly 
palaces.  The  contrast  brings  its  own  lessons  of 
faith  and  duty.  The  poor  Bedawin  and  millions 
like  them  will  never  know  of  Christian  hope, 
until  they  are  told.  "  How  shall  they  believe  in 
Him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard  ?  and  how 
shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher?  and  how 
shall  they  preach  except  they  be  sent  ?  "  ^ 

The  end  of  the  journey  is  near^at  hand,  and 
the  story  is  soon  told.  Beisan  with  its  many 
water-courses  and  green  trees  was  left  behind, 
and  the  travellers  pushed  on  across  a  hot  and 
dusty  plain,  uninteresting  in  its  monotony.  The 
road,  however,  was  not  devoid  of  interest  his¬ 
torically.  It  is  a  great  thoroughfare  from  the  sea 
to  the  east.  Many  and  various  have  been  the 
travellers  over  its  level  course.  Some  day  the 
monotony  may  be  forgotten  in  the  shriek  of 
whistles  and  rumble  of  trains.  For  this  is 

*  Rom.  X.  i4,  15. 

238 


! 


MIDIANITISH  CAMKLKKRS 


The  End  of  the  Journey 

along  the  line  of  the  projected  railway.  Geo¬ 
graphically  this  road  deserves  mention  as  lying 
six  hundred  feet  below  sea  level.  It  was  well 
for  the  tourists  that  the  barrier  mountains  kept 
their  place  and  restrained  the  waters  of  the  sea. 
This  road  led  down  to  the  Jordan  and  the  his¬ 
toric  bridge.  From  there  the  river  was  followed 
past  the  confluence  of  the  Yarmukto  ’Abadeyeh, 
where  shade  trees  offered  a  desirable  place  for 
lunch.  Thence  the  way  led  past  ruined  bridges 
to  the  southern  end  of  the  lake.  The  next  two 
hours  sufficed  to  bring  the  travellers  once  more 
to  Tiberias. 

On  the  following  day  the  usual  order  of  prog¬ 
ress  was  varied  by  a  boat  ride  to  the  northern 
end  of  the  lake.  The  water  was  calm  and  beau¬ 
tiful.  Hardly  a  puff  of  wind  stirred  the  lazy 
sails.  The  boatmen  rowed  the  craft,  which  left 
its  wake  far  to  the  rear.  The  passengers  enjoyed 
the  change  from  horseback  and  dry  land  to  this 
easy  and  indolent  method  of  advance.  They 
read  and  chatted  and  studied  the  landscape  from 
their  moving  view-point. 

The  plain  of  Gennesaret  was  specially  interest¬ 
ing,  and  behind  it  the  rock-bound  valley,  where 
robber  cave-dwellers  once  lived.  They  had  long 

been  a  menace  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  fertile 

S39 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

plain.  Whenever  danger  approached,  they  would 
betake  themselves  to  their  caves  high  up  in  the 
cliff.  It  is  more  than  a  thousand  feet  high,  and 
in  many  places  is  absolutely  perpendicular. 
There  the  robbers  had  made  an  impregnable 
rocky  fastness,  seemingly  unapproachable, — a 
network  of  caverns  and  passages  in  the  face  of 
the  frowning  bluff.  It  remained  for  Herod  the 
Great  to  overcome  and  annihilate  them.  This  he 
did  by  letting  down  soldiers  in  huge  iron-bound 
boxes  suspended  by  iron  chains,  and  thus  land¬ 
ing  them  at  the  entrance  to  the  caves.  The 
modern  name  of  the  valley,  in  complete  contrast 
with  its  former  character  and  reputation,  is  ‘‘the 
valley  of  doves.” 

The  travellers  were  carried  by  boat  to  a  point 
on  the  northern  shore  of  Galilee  near  the  site  of 
Capernaum.  There  they  took  a  farewell  dip  in 
its  cool,  refreshing  waters.  When  the  baggage 
train  overtook  them,  they  began  the  ascent  to 
the  Jewish  city  of  Safed.  From  a  depression  of 
six  hundred  and  eighty-one  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  Mediterranean,  they  must  rise  to  an  eleva¬ 
tion  of  nearly  two  thousand  eight  hundred  feet 
above  it. 

Part  way  up  the  mountain-side  is  the  “  Khan 

jubb  Yusef,”  which  is  by  Mohammedan  tradition 

240 


The  End  of  the  Journey 

the  well  in  which  Joseph’s  brethren  placed  him, 
and  from  which  they  sold  him  to  the  Midianite 
traders.  Here  the  tourists  “sat  down  to  eat 
bread,”  though  not  in  the  heartless  way  ascribed 
to  Jacob’s  sons  at  the  time  of  their  cruel  deed.^ 
Safed  is  a  large  and  important  city,  renowned 
for  its  stout  resistance  to  the  Moslems  in  the  time 
of  the  Crusades.  It  has  suffered  many  times 
from  destructive  earthquakes.  The  most  note¬ 
worthy  feature  of  the  place  at  present  is  the  in¬ 
fluential  Jewish  colony  situated  there.  Two 
centuries  ago  it  was  the  seat  of  Jewish  learning. 
Famous  rabbis  and  other  teachers  gathered  there, 
and  as  many  as  eighteen  synagogues  were  found. 
The  place  also  contained  a  printing-press.  The 
Jews  consider  Safed  as  a  sacred  city,  for  they 
expect  the  Messiah  to  come  from  there. 

This  polluted  stream  of  rabbinical  lore,  how¬ 
ever,  in  no  way  affects  the  natural  streams  of 
pure,  cold  water,  that  burst  forth  in  a  great 
fountain  below  the  town.  It  is  called  the 
“fountain  of  the  olives.”  Here  men  and  ani¬ 
mals  drank  freely,  and  rested  under  the  shade  of 
the  olive-trees,  before  they  started  on  to  the  end 
of  the  day’s  journey.  They  had  still  two  hours 
to  go,  and  the  sun  had  nearly  set.  Nor  was  the 

>  Gen.  xxxvii.  2^. 

241 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

road  one  to  be  chosen  for  a  night  ride.  It  was 
very  rough  and  stones  abounded.  At  last  they 
arrived  in  the  thick  darkness  at  Sifs^f,  where 
they  had  chosen  to  spend  the  night.  Camp  was 
pitched  on  the  threshing-floors  to  the  west  of  the 
village.  Here  was  supposed  to  be  a  fountain, 
but  it  was  dry.  It  was  fortunate  that  the  animals 
had  drunk  freely  at  Safed,  for  they  were  destined 
to  pass  nearly  twenty-four  hours  Without  water. 
Darkness  permitted  no  glimpse  of  the  surround¬ 
ings.  The  tents  sheltered  tired  sleepers.  The 
morning  sun  revealed  the  nature  of  their  where¬ 
abouts.  They  were  near  to  Mount  Jermuk,  the 
highest  peak  west  of  the  Jordan. 

The  way  lay  along  a  plain  for  a  time,  then 
across  rolling  country,  until  the  village  of  Kefr 
Bir’im  was  reached.  A  short  halt  was  made  to 
examine  the  interesting  ruins  of  an  ancient  Jew¬ 
ish  synagogue,  used  now  as  a  dwelling-house. 
Kefr  Bir’im  has  the  distinction  (by  tradition)  of 
being  the  burial-place  of  the  judge  Barak  and  the 
prophet  Obadiah. 

A  short  ride  further  brought  the  party  within 
the  bounds  of  the  American  Mission,  where  the 
tour  may  be  said  to  have  finished.  Each  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  expedition  returned  to  his  work  by 

shortest  routes,  regretting  that  the  parting-time 

242, 


The  End  of  the  Journey 

had  come,  yet  desirous  of  taking  up  his  duties 
afresh  in  the  added  vigor  acquired. 

Thus  ended  an  eventful  journey,  full  of  inter¬ 
est,  biblical,  historical,  geographical,  sociological 
and  religious.  There  remains  now  but  to  state  a 
few  general  impressions  derived  from  the  trip  as 
a  whole. 


CONCLUSION 


CONTRASTS  AND  HOPES 

During  an  absence  of  twenty-three  days, 
within  which  a  large  area  of  interesting  territory 
had  been  encompassed,  one  word  was  prominent 
in  the  thoughts  of  the  travellers,  as  descriptive  of 
the  trip.  That  word  was  ‘"contrast.”  The  ex¬ 
periences  had  been  exceptionally  diverse  in  many 
lines. 

On  the  one  side  the  eastern  desert  had  been  all 
but  reached,  on  the  other  the  horses’  feet  had 
been  bathed  in  the  waters  of  the  “Great  Sea.” 
The  travellers  had  reached  an  altitude  of  three 
thousand  feet  or  more,  and  had  crossed  the  Jor¬ 
dan  where  it  ran  fully  eight  hundred  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  Mediterranean. 

The  heat  during  the  daytime  had  been  intense 
and  almost  unbearable,  while  the  nights  were 
comfortably  cool. 

All  the  world  had  contributed  to  the  tourists’ 

larder.  They  had  had  beef  from  America,  jam 

from  England,  sardines  from  France,  maccaroni 

from  Italy,  butter  from  Denmark,  tea  from  China, 

244 


Conclusion — Contrasts  and  Hopes 

coffee  from  Arabia,  curry  from  India,  rice  from 
Egypt,  bread  from  Tiberias,  and  partridge  from 
the  ruins  of  Jerash. 

The  water  supply  had  been  as  varied  as  the 
food.  Fountains,  rivers,  pools,  and  conduits  had 
furnished  large  quantities  of  the  liquid,  drunk 
from  glasses,  cups,  pottery  jugs  and  jars,  bottles, 
tin  cans,  hands,  and  from  the  original  sources 
directly. 

The  travellers  had  run  the  risk  of  robbers  by 
day  and  petty  thieves  by  night,  and  had  returned 
without  a  single  loss. 

Possibly  some  may  question  the  legitimacy  and 
propriety  of  a  trip  in  regions  where  entrance  is 
guarded  by  a  useless  application  to  the  Porte. 
No  laws,  however,  were  broken  in  so  doing, 
and,  per  contra,  treaty  rights  should  properly 
secure  all  foreign  travellers  from  annoyance  from 
any  source, — governmental  or  personal.  As  it 
was,  the  tourists  merely  ran  the  risk  of  being 
sent  back,  provided  they  ventured  into  the  im¬ 
mediate  precincts  of  some  overzealous  official. 
This  did  not  happen. 

This  expedition,  too,  revealed  the  existence 

of  much  virgin  soil  for  missionary  effort.  No 

contrasts  were  more  striking  than  those  observed 

between  towns  where  schools  and  churches  had 

245 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

turned  the  thoughts  and  aspirations  toward  higher 
things,  and  villages  whose  inhabitants  know 
nothing  of  and  care  nothing  for  the  fruits  of 
Christianity.  Little  do  the  dwellers  in  Jaulan  and 
the  other  East-Jordan  districts  realize  their  privi¬ 
leges  as  members  of  a  race  above  the  brute  crea¬ 
tion.  Christianity,  which  has  made  possible  oc¬ 
cidental  civilization,  must  touch  these  eastern 
lands  in  its  purity. 

Nor  may  it  be  the  effete,  decaying  Christianity 
(so-called)  of  the  oriental  church.  The  results  of 
this  form  of  religion  are  manifest, — deadening  of 
all  spiritual  aspirations,  and  temporal  ascendency 
of  the  clergy.  The  land  is  cursed  with  politics. 
The  various  sects  of  the  church  are  more  political 
than  theological,  and  each  one  strives  for  its  own 
advancement  in  power  at  the  expense  of  the 
others  and  to  the  detriment  of  real  church  life 
and  growth.  “The  whole  head  is  sick,  and  the 
whole  heart  faint."  Political  civilization  has  been 
tried  and  “found  wanting."  Political  religion 
has  kept  the  whole  country  at  a  low  ebb  of  men¬ 
tal,  moral  and  spiritual  attainment. 

The  trans-Jordanic  regions  will  remain  in  gross 

darkness,  if  left  to  the  ministrations  of  the  church 

west  of  the  river.  No;  the  prevailing  oriental 

Christianity  of  the  present  time  must  be  su- 

24G 


VIM.ACIC  SCHOOL  lHSIIIN(i  HOA'I'S  ON  SI'LV  Ol'' 


Conclusion — Contrasts  and  Hopes 

perseded,  even  as  the  misguided  efforts  of  the  Cru¬ 
saders  came  to  an  end. 

There  is  needed  the  infusion  of  a  regenerating 
influence  entirely  foreign  to  the  politico-supersti¬ 
tious  fabric  now  investing  the  land.  This  influ¬ 
ence  must  be  sought  from  above, — sent  down  in 
the  Word  of  God,  exemplified  in  the  lives  of 
God’s  servants.  The  ignorance  of  the  ages  must 
be  overcome  by  a  wholesome,  effective  educa¬ 
tional  and  evangelizing  system  based  upon  the 
Bible.  Only  thus  may  the  land  make  permanent 
advance. 

The  kingdom  of  God  is  a  plant  of  slow  growth. 
But  it  is  surely  blossoming  out  into  the  perfect 
fruition  born  of  divinity.  “  One  day  is  with  the 
Lord  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand  years 
as  one  day.”  The  spiritual  regeneration  of  Syria 
and  Palestine  is  but  a  part  of  the  divine  plan. 
Consider  the  reach  of  Christ’s  undertaking, — a 
new  moral  creation  of  the  whole  race,  and  the 
restoration  of  it  to  God  in  the  grand  unity  of  a 
spiritual  kingdom.  No  such  infinite  and  all-em¬ 
bracing  purpose  ever  entered  the  mind  of  mortal 
man.  The  potentates  of  earth  have  been  content 
to  covet  limited  power  for  personal  ends.  The 
Holy  Land,  small  as  it  is,  has  been  the  cause  of 

endless  strife.  Man  has  tried  in  every  way, — by 

247 


Forbidden  Paths  in  the  Land  of  Og 

force,  by  strategy,  by  human  wisdom,  by  super¬ 
stitious  zeal, — to  protract  his  power  in  this 
coveted  land.  Where  man  has  failed,  has  God 
also  failed  ?  The  answer  may  be  found  in  Christ’s 
saying,  ‘‘The  Kingdom  of  God  is  within  you.”^ 
God's  rule  is  spiritual.  He  requires  neither 
Rome’s  thundering  legions,  nor  the  knighted 
chivalry  of  Europe;  neither  mounted  troops,  nor 
turreted  castles,  to  accomplish  His  purpose. 
When  He  said  to  Abram,  “  In  thee  shall  all  fami¬ 
lies  of  the  earth  be  blessed,”  He  knew  that  the 
divine  purpose  would  be  fulfilled,  despite  the 
plans  of  passing  men.  It  is  as  if  God  would 
teach  the  lesson  that  religion  and  true  power  are 
not  connected  with  time  and  place.  The  King¬ 
dom  of  God  moves  on  down  the  ages,  independ¬ 
ent  of  man’s  petty  plans,  and  is  surely  transform¬ 
ing  “the  kingdoms  of  this  world,”  “not  by 
might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  My  spirit,  saith  the 
Lord  of  hosts,”  until,  in  God’s  own  time,  they 
shall  all  “  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  of 
His  Christ.” 

May  the  time  be  near  at  hand,  when  tourists  in 
the  East-Jordan  districts  shall  find  schools  instead 
of  rude  caves,  and  churches  in  the  place  where 
the  village  dance  is  now  held.  May  they  see  the 

*  Luke  xvii.  21. 

248 


Conclusion — Contrasts  and  Hopes 

visible  triumph  of  Christianity  over  degrading 
Mohammedanism,  and  a  vigorous  western  belief 
in  Christ  supplanting  the  ignorant,  superstitious 
worship  of  the  virgin. 

And  now  permit  the  last  word  to  be  one  of 
good  cheer.  Despite  all  untoward  circumstances, 
the  **  Land  of  Og  ”  is  a  delightsome  land,  teeming 
with  recollections  of  historic  interest,  and  he  is  a 
fortunate  man  who  is  permitted  to  traverse  in 
safety  its  Forbidden  Paths,” 


THE  END. 


249 


Scripture  References 


Genesis 

PAGE 

Numbers 

PAGE 

Judges 

PAGE 

13 

10 

218 

21:  35 

45 

4;  19 

*56 

14 

5 

83 

33:  34-52 

58 

6:  7,  8 

219 

15 

19-21 

44 

35:  II,  12 

77 

7:  5 

220 

21 

25 

211 

8:  10 

220 

24 

14-67 

157 

Deut. 

II  :  I 

*47 

24 

II 

158 

2;  26-29 

44 

*15  3,  5 

124 

26 

19-21 

211 

2:  28 

211 

12:  1-6 

221 

30 

25 

166 

3:  *-3 

83 

20:  I 

142 

31 

4 

166 

3:  5 

75 

21 :  8 

142 

31 

34,  35 

167 

3:  II 

*5 

1  Sam. 

31 

32 
32 

49 

I 

3 

168 

169 

170 

3  5  25 

4:  43 

6:  14 

218 

200 

44 

II :  I 

*55  35 

26 :  12 

*43 

232 

208 

32 

33 
33 

37 

10 

8-1 1 
12-17 

25 

218 

*73 

174 

146 

241 

24 :  6 

32:  14 

Joshua 

3:  *5 

21 

54 

216 

26:  20 

28 :  7-25 

3*  5  10 

3*  5  7-*3 

3* 

232 

231 

235 

4:  20 

218 

2  Sam. 

Exodus 

9:  2 

44 

I ;  19-27 

235 

3: 

8 

44 

12 :  4 

83 

14 ;  26 

*5* 

*56 

13:  12 

83 

15  :  etc. 

*49 

15 

24 

211 

135  30 

75 

15:  18 

149 

17 

I,  2 

211 

17  :  I 

57 

18:  5 

149 

23 

25 

211 

18:  8 

*50 

Judges 

18:  18 

*5* 

Numbers 

I  :  7 

44 

18  :  21 

*5* 

13: 

27 

156 

I  :  27 

230 

18:  32 

*52 

21 

22 

21 

2  :  28,  29 

219 

19  :  18,  31 

223 

21  : 

33 

45 

3  ••  28,  29 

221 

20  :  16-22 

32 

251 


Scripture  References 


1  Kings 

4:  12 

4:  13 

4  :  22-28 

7  :  46,  47 
17;  1 
17  :  4,  6 
19:  19 
19:  19-21 

20  :  28-42 
20 :  24 

21  :  20 

21  :  49 

22  :  2 
22;  17 

2  Kings 

2:  i-ii 

5:  14 

6:  1-7 
8 :  28,  etc. 
15:  29 
16:  9 

24:  14 

I  Chron. 

5  :  26 
12:  15 

» 

Job 

6:  15-18 
22:  7 

Psalms 

22:  12 
23:  2 

Eccles. 
12 :  4 


PAGE 

Eccles. 

PAGE 

Matt. 

PAGE 

230 

12 :  6 

156 

24:  41 

38 

200 

200 

Song 

Mark 

222 

l:  5 

63 

I  :  29 

II8 

I4I 

I  :  35-38 

II7 

I4I 

Isaiah 

4:  39 

120 

97 

2:  13 

145 

5:  I 

104 

226 

55:  I 

2II 

5:  1-20 

105 

201 

14:  13 

157 

202 

Jer. 

16:  15 

120 

141 

8 ;  22 

57 

201 

II:  5 

156 

Luke 

202 

3:  I 

52 

204 

Ezek. 

4 :  38,  39 

II8 

27  :  6 

145 

8:  2 

II5 

39:  14 

54 

8;  26-39 

105 

223 

8:  37 

109 

223 

Daniel 

8 :  41,  etc. 

II8 

222 

i  :  12 

174 

10:  13 

II9 

204 

17  :  21 

248 

32 

Amos 

21  :  20-24 

129 

46 

6 :  12 

209 

46 

Zech. 

John 

4 :  14,  15 

4:  46-53 

212 

II  :  2 

145 

II8 

46 

Matt. 

6 :  26,  etc. 

II8 

217 

3:  12 

223 

7  :  37 

212 

3:  12 

228 

Romans 

210 

211 

8:  5-13 

8:  28-34 

118 

105 

10  :  14,  15 

238 

93  20 

9 :  32,  33 

118 

118 

James 

2 :  3 

64 

54 

211 

II  :  23 

119 

13:  1-23 

116 

Rev. 

15  ••  39 

115 

22:  I 

212 

18:  3 

119 

38 

23:  38 

131 

252 


Index 


Abadeyeh,  lunch  at,  239. 

Abel  Beth-Maacheh,  site  of, 
32. 

Abel  Meholeh,  Elisha’s  birth¬ 
place,  226. 

Abila,  Abil,  city  of  Decapolis, 

93- 

Absalom,  revolt,  149;  death, 

*51- 

Acqueduct  of  Gadara,  I  lo. 
Acre,  surrendered  by  Cru¬ 
saders,  48. 

Ahab,  history,  20 1 ;  and  Jehosh- 
aphat,  202 ;  death,  203. 

Ain  Jenneh,  near  Jerash,  164. 
Ain  Kunyeh,  camp  at,  33; 
burned,  37. 

Ajlun,  district,  situation,  52; 
described,  56 ;  town,  camp  at, 

152. 

Alexander  the  Great,  enters 
land,  48. 

Ameer  Muhammed  Fa’our,  61; 

his  home,  61 ;  his  cattle,  65. 
Ameery,  an  Arab  princess,  62. 
Anjara,  lunch  at,  210. 

Aphek,  Ahab’s  victory  at,  201. 
Arabs,  enter  land,  47,  49 ; 
changes  in  tribes,  48 ;  tribe 
of  Fudl,  (situation,  60;  en¬ 
campment,  61;  horses,  63); 
hospitality  of,  68 ;  coffee,  68 ; 
unromantic  life,  70;  laziness 
of,  213. 

Ashteroth  Karnaim,  site  of, 

83. 

Assyrians  capture  land,  46, 


Bag,  the,  23. 

Balm  of  Gilead,  57. 

Banias,  fountain  of,  33 ;  temple 
of  Pan,  33;  site  of  Caesarea 
Philippi,  40. 

Baptism  of  Christ,  224. 

Barak,  burial-place  of,  242. 

Barzillai,  David’s  friend,  223. 

Basalt  district,  54. 

Bash  an,  ruled  by  Og,  15 ; 
historic  interest  of,  16;  travel¬ 
ling  in,  17;  conquest  of,  45; 
to  Manasseh,  45  ;  names  of, 
52;  boundaries  of,  50;  extent 
of,  51 ;  division  of  52  Greek 
names,  52 ;  Arabic  names, 
52;  once  densely  inhabited, 

75- 

Bedawin,  visited,  63 ;  cattle 
raiders,  136,  140;  in  Ghor, 
213;  laziness  of,  213;  food 
of,  214;  funeral,  237;  ex¬ 
istence,  238. 

Beisan,  described,  227 ;  camp 
at,  228 ;  site  of  Bethshan  and 
Scythopolis,  230 ;  destroyed 
by  Saladin,  230 ;  Saul’s  death 
near,  231;  ignominy  of  Saul 
at,  235. 

Belvoir  castle,  160. 

Bethsaida,  prophecy  concern¬ 
ing,  1 19. 

Bethshan,  Beisan,  history, 
230;  citadel  of,  231 ;  Jabesh 
Gileadites  at,  235. 

Blood  feuds,  77 ;  guide  involved 
in,  87. 


263 


Index 


Boat  ride,  on  Galilee,  240. 

Brass  foundry,  near  Jordan,  222. 
Bread,  at  Gadara,  106. 

Bridge,  Roman,  at  Rukkad 
river,  74 ;  el  Mijamia,  216. 
Byzantine  rulers,  47. 


C^sAREA  Philippi,  Banias,  40. 

Cameleers,  Midianite,  146. 

Cans,  23,  29. 

Capernaum,  Christ’s  home  in, 
1 17 ;  miracles  in,  1 18 ;  proph¬ 
ecy  concerning,  119;  site  of, 
240. 

Captivity,  the,  45. 

Carriage  road,  Jewish,  73. 

Castle,  Banias,  41 ;  Tiberias, 
121;  Rubud,  159  j  Bel  voir, 
160. 

Cattle  raiders,  136,  140. 

Cave-Odwellers,  robbers,  240. 

Chederlaomer,  83. 

Children  of  Israel,  take  Bashan, 
45;  nomadic,  77;  cross  Jor¬ 
dan,  218. 

Chorazin,  prophecy  concern¬ 
ing,  1 19. 

Chosroes  II.,  Persian  monarch, 
47- 

Church,  the  Oriental,  impotent, 
249. 

Circassians,  villages  of,  72;  at 
Jerash,  184. 

Cities  of  refuge,  78. 

Coffee,  Arab,  68. 

Contrasts,  244. 

Cook’s  parties,  21. 

Cook,  the,  described,  27 ;  ill,  229. 

Counting  in  pairs,  67. 

Country  of  the  Gadarenes,  104, 
109. 

Crater  peaks,  53. 

Crusaders,  in  Syria,  47  j  con¬ 
quered,  162. 

Customs,  Arabic,  67, 


Dagon  worship  at  Bethshan, 
230. 

Dance  at  Golan,  81. 

David,  a  hunter,  30;  flees  from 
Absalom,  149,  223;  informed 
of  Absalom’s  death,  152; 
takes  Saul’s  jug,  208;  mourns 
for  Saul,  234. 

Dead  Sea,  depression  of,  215. 
Decapolis,  Ajlun,  56 ;  Scythop- 
olis,  capital  of,  230. 
Destruction  of  Jerusalem,  129. 
Dolmeus,  tombs,  described,  75- 
Dream  of  Gerasa,  195. 
Drinking,  like  a  dog,  220. 
Druze  Mountains,  eastern 
boundary  of  Bashan,  51; 
lawless  district,  55. 

Druzes,  uprising,  37 ;  in  Haur^n, 

55- 

Duties  of  missionaries,  19. 

Edrei,  battle  at,  45  ;  capital  of 
Bashan,  83. 

Ehud,  at  Jordan,  219. 

Elijah,  home  of,  141 ;  and 
Ahab,  201 ;  ascension  of,  223. 
Elisha,  and  Elijah,  223;  birth¬ 
place,  226. 

El  Merkez,  in  Hauran,  83. 
Embrace,  oriental,  172. 
Encampment  of  Arabs,  63. 
Equipment  for  trip,  22. 

Esau,  and  Jacob,  169. 

Ferryboat,  used  by  David, 
223. 

Fig  orchard,  at  Beisan,  229. 
Ford,  at  Yarmuk,  88,  134;  at 
Jabbok,  17 1 ;  at  Jordan,  223. 
Forests  of  Gilead,  145. 

Fountain  of  the  Olives,  241. 
Funeral,  a  diversion,  70; 
David’s  ode,  234 ;  a  Bedawy, 

237- 


254 


Index 


GadarA,  aqueduct  to,  99 ; 
described,  103 ;  not  site  of 
miracle,  105 ;  necropolis  of, 
106 ;  bread  at,  106 ;  Um 
Keis,  107 ;  hot  springs  of, 
1 10  ;  siege  of,  128. 

Gadarenes,  country  of  the,  104, 
105. 

Galilee,  Sea  of,  120  ;  scene 
of  Christ’s  peaceful  works, 
120;  depression  of,  215; 
boat  ride  on,  240. 

Gamala,  seige  of,  127. 

Gazelles,  near  Galilee,  134. 

Gennesaret,  plain  of,  115; 
robbers  near,  239, 

Gerasa,  Jerash,  178. 

Gersa,  scene  of  miracle  of 
swine,  109. 

Gh6r,  the,  part  of  Ajlun,  52; 
camp  in,  213 ;  described,  213 ; 
Lot  chose  the,  213;  Bedawin 
of,  213;  depression  of,  215; 
west  side  of,  239. 

Gideon,  at  Jordan,  219;  men 
drink  like  dogs,  220. 

Gifts,  large,  173;  coldly  re¬ 
ceived,  173;  repaid,  174. 

Gilboa,  mount,  from  Beisan, 
232;  Saul’s  death  at,  233. 

Gilead,  Ajlun,  52,  57;  balm 
of,  57;  described,  140;  home 
of  Elijah,  141  ;  retreat  of 
David,  149. 

Golan,  city  of  refuge,  72;  de¬ 
scribed,  77 ;  degenerated,  79; 
Jewish  settlement  at,  79 ; 
Sahem  ej  JauDn,  80 ;  status 
of  inhabitants,  8 1 ;  dance  at,  8 1 . 

Government,  no  permissions, 
20 ;  Lebanon,  49 ;  Hauran, 
83  ;  criticised,  84. 

Gully,  dangerous,  207. 

Hauran,  situation,  54;  de¬ 
scribed,  55. 


Heat,  73,  100. 

Hebras,  near  Gadara,  99. 

Helaweh,  site  of  Jabesh  Gil¬ 
ead,  204. 

Heraclius,  Byzantine  ruler,  47. 

Hermon,  mount,  source  of 
Jordan,  33. 

Herod,  rulers,  47 ;  the  Great, 
52;  and  robb«-rs,  240. 

Hieromax,  river,  Yarmuk, 
boundary,  52;  battle  of,  100; 
hot  springs  of,  iio. 

Hiram,  king  of  Tyre,  222. 

Hospital,  Tiberias,  121. 

Hospitality,  Arab,  68. 

Hot  springs,  Hieromax,  no. 

Hunting,  legitimate,  30. 

IjON,  site  of,  32. 

Impedimenta,  22. 

Invasion  of  Palestine,  126. 

Irade,  Imperial,  20. 

Isaac,  courtship,  157. 

Israelites  take  Bashan,  45; 
nomadic,  77 ;  cross  Jordan, 
217. 

Itinerary,  59. 

Jabbok,  southern  boundary  of 
Bashan,  51 ;  ford  of,  17 1. 

Jabesh  Gilead,  site  of,  142, 
204;  history  of,  1 42;  from 
Beisdn,  235 ;  requites  Saul’s 
favor,  236 ;  Saul  buried  at, 
236. 

Jacob,  at  Mizpah,  166;  and 
Esau,  170 ;  wrestling,  17 1. 

Jars,  pottery,  157. 

Jaulan,  situation,  52;  de¬ 
scribed,  53;  entered,  60; 
inhabitants  of,  60. 

Jehoshaphat,  and  Ahab,  202 ; 
in  battle,  203. 

Jehu,  204. 

Jephthah,  vow,  147  j  Shibboleth, 

221. 


255 


Index 


Sower,  parable  of,  1 1 6. 

Springs,  hot,  of  Hieromax,  i  lO. 
Stones,  abound,  54 ;  myth 
about,  54- 

SuccoTH,  and  Gideon,  221. 
SuF,  situation,  165;  Mizpah, 
165. 

Sultan,  fig  orchard  of,  229. 
Synagogue  at  Kefr  Bir’im,  242. 
Syria,  became  Roman  province, 
47- 

Syrian  sun,  loi. 

Tariche^,  siege  of,  127;  site 
of,  133- 

Taxes,  government,  55. 
Telegraph  line  passed,  164. 
Tell  Abu  Nida,  crater  cone, 
53;  El  Faras,  crater  cone, 

53- 

Temple,  Pan,  at  Banias,  33; 
Jerash,  176. 

Theatre,  Gadara,  104;  Jerash, 
180;  Beisan,  228. 

Theological  Seminary,  222. 
Threshing  floors,  228. 

Tiberias,  camp  at,  112;  an¬ 
cient  city,  1 14 ;  hospital  at, 
121;  Jews  at,  122;  music  at, 
123;  surrendered  to  Titus, 
127. 

Titus,  destroyed  Jerusalem,  130. 
Tob,  land  of,  124. 

Tombs,  Gadara,  106. 
Transfiguration,  the,  41. 


Tobakat  Fahl,  Pella,  136; 
described,  137. 

Turks  gain  ascendency,  48. 

Um  Keis,  Gadara,  107 ;  foun¬ 
tain  at,  107. 

Valley,  camp  in,  iii;  of 
Doves,  240. 

Vespasian,  subdues  Palestine, 

126. 

View,  at  Jillen,  87  ;  at  Gadara, 
103;  from  Rubud  castle,  160; 
above  Jordan  plain,  205 ; 
from  Beisan,  226. 

Vow  of  Jephthah,  147. 

Watch,  at  night,  94 ;  at  Jerash, 
186. 

Water,  carrier  at  Ajlhn,  157; 
courses  dry,  207;  jar,  156; 
seller,  99;  supply,  245. 

Waters  of  Merom,  level  of, 
215. 

Weigher,  public,  24. 

Woman’s  work,  156. 

Yabis  river,  near  Jabesh 
Gilead,  142. 

Yarmuk  river,  boundary,  52; 
view,  88;  battle  of,  lOO; 
ford  at,  89,  134. 

Zeizun,  falls  of,  92. 


358 


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DS107.D69 
Forbidden  paths 


